Broken Hopes and Dreams
by JeffC FTW
Summary: Sasuke and Naru meet in college and fall in love, marry and live their life, but their happiness is intruded upon by a crazed stalker who threatens to cut up the Uchiha's new wife like meat on a bone. (Sasuke/femNaruto)
1. The Ageless Dream

**So, like "A Deadly Affair", this is a stalker tale threatening to be fatal, and inspired by the real-life case of Michael Douglas and wife Catherine Zeta-Jones (a real "Fatal Attraction"). Summary for short goes this way: Sasuke and Naru (femNaruto) are being terrorized by an anonymous but vicious stalker who is trying to make themselves accessible to Sasuke once his new wife is out of the way. **

**I own nothing of Naruto or the stalking case that took place back in 2004, or even the film "Fatal Attraction. And chapter titles belong to composer TaiGekTou on YouTube. **

Chapter One

The Ageless Dream

"Thanks for being here before you left, _aniki_," Sasuke Uchiha said from the front passenger seat of the black luxury which had been a gift from their father. "For even bothering to make the time for this."

_Just choosing to go off into the army for college, and when you're done, you take up joining the police force like Dad. Me: I'm going to do something for myself, work for myself, and it's a damned good thing I got on a scholarship rather than letting it be handed to me, and that means nothing to be held over my head since Dad made it clear I was being an idiot. _

Itachi sighed, shaking his head and looking ahead at the campus of the college the younger brother was going to for the next few years. His aim was for a degree in worldwide mythology, and then perhaps take up teaching the college level or high school, depending on which would be available when he finished. An easy life which met his standards and not anyone else's. Only Itachi supported him, so he was glad his brother was here, despite his bitter words.

He sometimes wished their mother was still here, because she encouraged no matter the circumstances.

"Just promise me something, Sasuke."

"What?"

"That you don't close yourself off to people while you are here. And that you make friends as well as..." Itachi stopped talking then, taking a hand off the steering wheel so he could reach into his right pocket - that thick bulge he miraculously squeezed into the space provided - and pull out the dark red velvet box Sasuke recognized as a _ring box. _He almost groaned, which Itachi caught onto. "Now, it's not whatever you think it is." When he opened it, Sasuke felt his eyes widen as he recognized what he hadn't seen in a long time, echoing in his memory even before his _nii-san _refreshed it.

"It was our mom's. What Dad won at an auction. He told me before today that she would have wanted you to give it to the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with - but this isn't meant for the real proposal." _Hint: courtship._

Sasuke found himself hypnotized by the detail of this "dewdrop against leaves" in the form of the drop-shaped blue diamond which glimmered like real water, cradled in a bouquet of smaller white jewels in an intricate vine-like setting. Auctioneer said it was estimated to be eight carats as a whole, the blue diamond said to be over five.

"Well." Itachi cleared his throat. "Might as well get going now, _otouto_. I have a flight to catch. Gonna be a while before we see each other again, and I'll have to be stealing time to reply back to your emails and calls. Ame is terrible with the services, I heard."

And his _aniki _was going into a town torn by civil war which needed Konoha's aid. From what he heard, things were so bloody that the rain couldn't wash everything away. It made him worry for Itachi's life, but he was, quote, "immortal, and it takes a lot more to get rid of me". That was how awesome he was.

"Good luck and be careful, _nii-san_," Sasuke told the elder, closing the small box and putting it into his duffel bag behind his seat upon retrieving it after getting out of the car. Laying ahead was the private Konoha University. The main big building which consisted of the dorms and residences as well as the dean's office, mess hall and the gymnasium, spa and dojo - this area was made entirely of steel modernity and glass windows.

The same couldn't be said entirely for the several smaller buildings which looked like ancient temples with the arching rooftops, and all of those were the different class courses - for example, his mythology course being accounted for. And not only that, but he was going to have something else to earn a bit of extra money...which was none other than modeling, and that included posing for the art classes.

_Ready for whatever you throw at me, future. _

Hopefully, his future wouldn't involve HER after everything. He half-regretted ending it with her, but had to convince himself that it was for the best. For some days now, his sleep was plagued with her teary green eyes and her cries, pleading with him for a second chance and forgiveness over her character.

Which was why he was hesitant on a new relationship any time soon, and why he hesitated on Itachi's words regarding their mother's ring.

And here he was, alone for the first time in a new place, even if he were still in his hometown.

He and his brother said goodbye one more time before Itachi was gone, leaving him with his duffel slung over one shoulder and his briefcase on the wheels in the other hand. He made his way up the concrete steps of the pathway towards the entrance, all the while taking his time to absorb his surroundings. You could see some small groups mingling together, either making new friends or reunited ones who were going to share their first steps into the real world. There were also a few who were solo, others saying goodbye to their families for now -

\- which also involved one interesting moment as well as two people he recognized on the spot. Two, and a third one he didn't recall once.

His father always talked about Tsunade and Jiraiya, the former running the general hospital and the latter an internationally renowned author of the adult romance series _Icha Icha Paradise _\- and with them was a young woman of his own age, clad in an orange fleece jumpsuit unzipped down to show a black top or something. Her hair was blonde, short to the length of her shoulders, and tied in a ponytail. Her eyes were broad and bright like the skies - and her features twisted in a painful expression as she embraced the couple, making Sasuke think that she had to be their granddaughter or something. He never knew much of anything about their personal lives, except that they had a daughter by the name of Kushina Uzumaki, who'd been killed in a flight crash some years ago.

Sasuke had to hurry away. He needed to get to his new dorm, meet his new roommate, so maybe he could check out that girl another time. Except it begged for how without seeming like a creepy stalker to anyone's eyes.

_Somehow, I feel like I might have seen her before..._

When he arrived at his room, there were of course twin beds and a good amount of space, since this was reserved for nothing but the best as well as those on scholarships. It was simple and classic Japanese in the wooden beams and the _shoji_ windows as well as the glass panes, and it turned out that he would end up getting the bed by the window without even asking for it. His roommate was unpacking and getting settled in, his back facing the door when Sasuke had walked in. He thought, for a second, that his guard should be up in case this first impression would be a false alarm. He ignored him and walked over to his bed, grunting as he dropped his duffel on the bed, then let his suitcase rest upside, and pushed down the handle so it automatically locked in place, and Sasuke set about unloading his possessions he could bring with.

A soft voice broke the silence then and there, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to rise. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Gaara. What's your name?"

Blue-green eyes outlined with black locked with his, and the rest of the other's features consisted of auburn hair which was matted and unkempt at the same time. His skin was just as pale as the Uchiha's. He cleared his throat before responding, surprised that the guy thought to talk to him before he could, and there seemed to be no trace of immediate cold comfort.

"Sasuke." He didn't say his last name, figuring they had plenty of time to give that to each other, and this was only day one. He wanted to just live like a normal human being rather than as a "cover boy" because of who his family was.

~o~

Hard enough being here, knowing that your mom wouldn't get to see it like Grandma and Grandpa were doing. On the light side, her childhood best friend was going here, so that was a light at the end of the tunnel.

"Kiddo, first step," Jiraiya said with a nostalgic exhale of breath as they looked upon this place of glass and old artwork in one. It was like stepping into those old paintings from way back then. "If only your mom could be here to see you now. She'd be hella proud of you." He then knelt his head down to kiss the top of her head, making her blush.

"Too bad we can't see that friend of yours right now, but maybe he's in already," Tsunade stated wryly before that smile faded into a slight scowl. "Won't be surprised that his own father isn't here to see him off, but I'll be damned his siblings might have been here. Oh, what the hell? You know what they say: snooze, you lose. His dad never appreciated him no matter what he did, so here he is now. You were always there for him, baby." She wrapped her arm around her granddaughter who agreed with a stifled hiccup as she remembered all those years since meeting Gaara Sabaku in the first year of middle school. Lonely and brooding, even his own siblings scared of him all because of their father - and she'd stepped in, being a friend and helping him one day at a time.

Them losing a mother was one thing they had in common, along with an absent father. She never knew hers - from what Mom said, they were supposed to get together before his parents intervened, so it had been impossible. _Just a one-night quickie and then the forbidden fling is over with; just our luck. Mom suffered for no reason because of those high-and-mighty people. She did everything the best she could, though, and because her parents were there for us. _

Jiraiya sighed again. "Brings back memories, huh, baby?" he asked his wife of many years who laughed and simply responded by pushing back the two pigtails she still wore her light blonde hair in; that wasn't her real color. It was actually real tomato-red, which was what Kushina's had been, but Tsunade hated it so much that she dyed it for many years every time it began to wear off. And now, at her age, it appeared to be permanent if not by hand. Along with those wrinkles around her mouth, lining her neck and forehead, and her huge-ass breasts sagging a little with her age, only that last part did not stop her husband from openly commenting them as if it were nothing new, prompting beet-red blushes and playful threats with her fists.

The memories her grandfather just mentioned: he and Tsunade went here together, and so did their daughter, so now would Naru. Not only was it a family tradition, but she wanted to learn art here and perhaps open her own gallery if she gave it her best. Just what they expected of her, too. Gaara was going here to become a lawyer.

"I'm gonna make my own memories here," Naru said, feeling her eyes burn with the hopeful possibilities, feeling excited like she always had when she was a younger girl. "New friends besides Gaara, to hell with anyone trying to stop me, living to the fullest and learning something new - and maybe a man I can really keep." She never blamed her mom for that, but this was where she intended for things to be different.

Both her grandparents looked surprised by her choice of words before both burst out into guffaws and took her into their arms - and as usual, Naru could have been smothered by her grandmother's large twins. When they let her go, they made way for the college building where student residences were; she'd been one of the lucky few to win a scholarship and get a roommate as well as a room and board of her own, but Grandma and Grandpa were also there in case of emergencies. Though, she had no intentions to be a leech, since she had to think and behave like an adult, try her best to not let her hyperactivity get in her way of thinking should stress hit her.

She had a weakness for aesthetics, so she was blown away by the attention to detail about this place. Her grandfather remarked that the ancient relics were just as he remembered, while her grandmother snarked that he never noticed much beyond that - and she meant herself. Which meant Jiraiya liked two things while he was here: his literature and _her_, the woman who would become his wife and mother of his child.

And now they were in the room she would end up sharing with the girl who was already there and had finished putting her things away. There were interesting anime posters she was putting up on her side, near the window. Naru usually loved her bed by the window, but the world did NOT revolve around her. She could handle that. Her roommate was in purple velvet which snugged her curves in the right places, making Naru feel a little jealous, and her lavender-tinted midnight hair reached the middle of her back. When she turned around upon hearing the door open and the voices coming in, Naru was greeted with pearlescent eyes which widened at the three of them, and a slight pink appeared on her cheeks. "Ah, don't be shy!" Jiraiya said jovially. "Nice to meet you, little lady. I'm Jiraiya, this is my wife Tsunade, and this here is Naru, our granddaughter. Looks like you will be rooming. You look like you might get along great with her, uh..." His skin darkened at once, making his wife grumble the word "idiot", and Naru had to wonder why the hell he'd embarrass her like this, even try to help her make a friend as if she were a little girl again who had been too shy to play with the other kids.

The young woman swallowed visibly and reached to finger the charm around her throat, an opened circle maybe filled halfway with what looked like an icy crystal. "Um, hello and pleased to meet you. Hinata...Hyuuga."

Hyuuga...the name rang a bell.

The Hyuuga were a prominent family, being one of the oldest in Konoha. They ran the local museum of priceless art and antiquities. She never knew anyone personally, but here was one right in front of her. _I also never knew anyone from rich families since those kids go to a private school than us regular kids; most of those guys are stuck-ups. Wonder if this one could change that when Grandma and Grandpa are gone._

"Well, what do you know? Hinata - just how is that family of yours doing?" Tsunade asked, smile clearly forced. "You here to get a degree because of your father, Hiashi?"

Hinata Hyuuga's face lightened up just a little bit. "Actually, I am here because I want to do this for myself. I intend to become a designer of wedding dresses. He's actually very supportive."

Naru wondered how her grandmother knew this Hiashi Hyuuga, and from the sound of it, he sounded like one of those stick-up-the-asses, and this girl must have been too soft for him that she went elsewhere. It made her mad, but also glad she was doing something for herself. She might make a friend out of this one, and how the hell could she refuse that?

"Good to know," Tsunade said proudly. "I think you might make a great new friend for my granddaughter. Naru, meet Hinata Hyuuga. I remember when her dad and your mom used to be at each other's throats; we never told you about that, did we, Jiraiya?"

He grinned. "Yeah, Kushina hated his guts. He just loved to look at people like her because she didn't belong to 'his class'. Simple as that, so it's hard to believe he changed his ways. I know your dad, Hinata, has done well for himself, but there are those who say it was just expected and handed to him, very few thinking like we do: his good deeds overshadowing the silver platter. You might do the opposite of that, just like our girl is going to do."

Naru found herself smiling at the girl who looked like she was going to cry, reaching to rub her eyes since she clearly didn't get such praise often. "T-th-thank you both. Naru, nice to meet you. I look forward to sharing this room with you and maybe working with you somehow. We are going to share the same art course, too. I don't...have friends right now. They have gone elsewhere, since they're not prestigious like me." Her face fell then.

Naru could not tell if this was based on familial opinion or if this just had to do with the simple fact that they didn't have the means to come here like Hinata did.

"Now that this is settled, we really gotta get going," Tsunade said after checking her mobile which she'd had on vibrate. "I got a surgery to get to in an hour. But before we go - Jiraiya?" Her husband got the hint and reached into his jacket, taking out a palm-sized blue box with a shimmery surface; when he opened it, Naru couldn't believe what was inside. "That's right, sweetheart; this was your mom's. She would have wanted you to have it."

Inside: smooth, sapphire cabochons in the form of earring studs, a cuff bracelet with an easy on-and-off double hinge and each end bearing the stones; finally, a necklace which would be close to the throat and had three of the dark blue gems.

"It was our present to her on the day you were born, if you don't remember," Jiraiya told her. Hinata had come up to take a look herself and gasped softly.

"That's a wonderful way to remember your mother. I heard about her, I think; my father, though, hardly had a nice thing to say except that she never took offenses without flaring like fire - to quote him," she said with a nervous giggle. "I never said it to him, but I liked Kushina. She was an inspiration for strong women and girls. She let nothing hold her down. You must have been honored to have her as a mother, Naru."

She sure as hell had been, except in the department of getting and keeping a man. _But I'm gonna worry about me until the right man is put in front of me. If there's anyone who thinks of me as the type of girl to quit for the sake of his breadwinning ego, I'll can him myself. _

~o~

His new roommate, Gaara Sabaku, turned out to not be much different than him, in the sense their mothers died - one in childbirth, the other when the second son was much too young for it - and that the redhead worked very hard to get to where he was now and would continue to do so for his future. That made Sasuke Uchiha bond with him right away, and it was the first time he really had a true friend in all his life.

He used to have people who admired him in school, but it wasn't a REAL friendship with any of them. Plus, girls fawned over him, and the one he thought he had a future with had something he could not tolerate any longer. The only true other had been Itachi, the only one who was there for him when he needed it - especially when their father often didn't give him the praise he needed no matter what he did - but Sasuke was now on his own. Not that he didn't know how to take care of himself.

Gaara's father apparently didn't give him a second look since the death of his mother, which was NEVER his fault to begin with. His own brother and sister were distant from him based on their dad's word, though in recent years, they started to look out for him - and that had to do with a certain friend of his roommate's whom Sasuke learned was also going to this school.

"How about dinner tonight? My friend will be there with her roommate. Perhaps we can get together."

Sasuke liked that idea very much, but when they did join the girls, he was taken aback by the appearance of Gaara's female friend from childhood...and it was the very same blonde babe he'd seen upon arrival. And _Naru Uzumaki _was her name.

Except he wished he could say the fire in her crystalline eyes was warm and welcoming. It made him wonder what the hell that meant and if he really did see her before.

She hissed at him - Gaara and her roommate, Hinata Hyuuga, looked at them both and at each other with some worry - and stated that he might not remember her, but she sure as hell remembered him.

**In past fics of mine, I had Tsunade and Jiraiya be Minato's parents (in the recent "An Outlawed Romance", they were his adoptive parents), but this time called for a nice change. :) Oh yeah, I also wondered how to make it work in the sense that Kushina is their daughter, so maybe imagine that she and Jiraiya have the same eyes this time around, if Tsunade could dye her hair. **

**Sasuke saying "Future, I'm ready for whatever you throw at me" - words of Kim Possible in the first half of the series finale, "Graduation". **

**Oh, yeah, stay tuned for the next chapter. Gonna be revealed how Naru remembers him. REVIEW IN LOTS O LOVING DETAIL, PLEASE! :3 No flames, also pretty please. **


	2. A Cool Sleeve of Clouds

**So sorry it took so long since the first chapter, and while I am happy one person reviewed, I was kinda hoping for more. :( It's sad that very few people do that these days. **

**Not only the extreme brainstorming, but I'm almost done with another fic, "Sleeping Weasel". **

**Title is two of TaiGekTou's pieces put together, "Cool" and "Sleeve of Clouds". **

Chapter Two

A Cool Sleeve of Clouds

Grandma and Grandpa really helped, as they always did. Hinata Hyuuga might as well be her new best friend on day one, and Naru Uzumaki would pray it would stay that way.

"I'm so sorry about your mom, Naru," the dark-haired girl said quietly when the blonde's grandparents were gone. "I know what it's also like to lose a mother."

_When she died, I thought my life was over. But I had Grandma, Grandpa and Gaara. Hinata also lost hers, but it was due to cancer, and every treatment tried failed. She's been through a lot, too. And she needs a friend like me. _"What happened to them?" she asked the other girl of her friends, sitting on the foot of this bed by the window so they could talk more. They had all day to get settled in, and tomorrow would be when their courses to get them started towards life would begin.

"Oh, Kiba and Shino - I've known them for a long time. Never had real girl friends, since a lot of them were too jealous of me. I never figured out why," Hinata said sadly. "The boys were my rocks, but now they are going to different places while I am here. Shino was accepted on a scientific expedition, searching for new species of bugs on an internship, and Kiba is off in Osaka for veterinarian school. The only saving grace is that we are still in touch." That smile was back.

"I have a friend going here, too," Naru said. "I'd love you two to meet sometime. Gaara is such a great guy...though he was a bit tough to get through to at first. His mom also died, but it was the day he was born. Wasn't his fault, but his father still blamed him." She gritted her teeth. "Even somehow manipulated the brother and sister into being distant from him as a result. The bastard was on my shit list for a long time."

Her language first made Hinata blush again, before she burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hand. Naru liked that about her, and decided she could get involved with this stuff more often.

That also meant tonight, since she got a text from Gaara, saying he got a roommate, and asked her if she would like to meet them for dinner tonight; she wasted no time saying yes, and that Hinata would love to join them.

They headed down to the cafeteria - also known as the _gakushoku _\- and here they could try out what this place had, so they would get used to their new lifestyles. Gaara asked for them to meet him and his new roommate here. Hinata was a little giddy, not only to meet new people, but also to show what she'd worked on all summer in preparation for her first designing class...and what Naru saw blew her away. Western styles were getting all the more popular here in Japan every day. This was daring as well as stylish, being a sheathe that had a plunging neckline, made up of a smooth crepe fabric, and the train's hem as well as the sides were illusion lace without being TOO revealing or showing any undergarments.

This place...it was broad, clean and simple. White-washed walls and high ceilings supported by rectangular pillars, and filled with everything for your needs. Tourists would come here anytime and expect anything like this. And when she saw what was on the menu, her mouth watered. Add that there was so much space. And nothing but a close seat near the food stations - hell, you could even leave your belongings at your seat, since this was a safe environment! - while this area was mostly empty, given students loved to get something out and bring it back here, even though the food here was all five dollars or under to be affordable for the student body.

On the menu: everything nutritional and thought out. Curry - mild as well as spicy - was included. And so was Naru's cherished RAMEN; she was so high in heaven that she could sing to the highest clouds. _They have miso and _chāshū _pork, hell to the yeah! I love this place already! And hell, yeah again: FREE TEA!_

All you had left to do was a nice prayer at the table and then wait for the boys, since Gaara texted that they were coming now and knew where they were. Didn't take long for Naru and Hinata - who got the steamed rice with _furikake_ seasoning - to see him approaching, tray in hand, and there with him was his roommate...

...but when Naru laid her eyes on him, she thought she was going to choke at first, when she didn't even begin tasting her food. Hinata looked at her with concern. And Gaara had to ask her what was wrong while the baffled young man just looked at her as if wondering what he'd done wrong.

_As if you don't remember me. I sure as hell do. I'll never forget what you said to me or the way you looked at me when all I wanted was respect and acceptance. _

~o~

_Thirteen years ago..._

On the very first day when she came to this school, she was very nervous and shy. Mama even had time to come and see her off on her first day, just like Grandpa. Grandma was too busy at the hospital. She was quivering on her legs and hiding behind her mother, clutching at Kushina's green skirt, making the woman laugh.

"Oh, honey, it's okay. I know how scary it is." Kushina knelt down then and took the five-year-old in her arms. "I was scared when I first came here, too." She then kissed the small, golden forehead. "You'll do great. Just have fun, do your best, make friends - and have people who help you when you need it. You help them in return, as well."

"Yeah, and sweetheart, I hope she gets a boyfriend, too," Jiraiya added, and those icky words made Naru scowl deeply. She hated boys; they were just gross and mean.

"Dad," Kushina hissed through her teeth, "wrong time, wrong place. She doesn't even like boys that way. I hated them, too, at her age."

And that was when they had to get inside, Mama added. They had to meet the one who was going to be her new teacher - and it was a young woman by the name of Miss Yui. She had long black hair and the prettiest red eyes Naru had ever seen. She liked her already; she was so nice and warmly welcomed her. And of course, Grandpa wasted no time flirting with her much to the embarrassment of his daughter, though Naru didn't know a lot about this stuff except what she saw of him and Grandma.

She looked around at the white room, amazed at how clean it was like home and every other place she could remember going to. And there were other kids, but not all of them looked at her a second time - and there was one which stuck out at the crowd in Kurenai-sensei's classroom. He had black hair, wild like a bird's butt - best she could think of - and his eyes were the same color. His skin was white like snow, and he was in a dark blue sweater.

But he didn't even look at her, nor did he look at anyone around him except the paper before him. _He looks mean. But Mama said never judge the book by its cover. _

Except how wrong she was as soon as Mama and Grandpa were gone, and Kurenai-sensei introduced her to the class - they welcomed her with nice words and smiles, except that one boy - before showing her to her seat in the middle of the room...and just her luck as to WHO she was beside.

That rude boy who just grunted and glared at her from the corner of his eye, which made her sniff and turn away from him. If he didn't want to talk to her, he wasn't worth it. Mama hated a guy once herself.

~o~

Back to the present, he was right in front of her after all these years.

She should have guessed he could end up here of all places, but there were plenty of other high spots for his kind. She felt all the long-suppressed and slumbering hate and rage bubble back to the surface thanks to the simple trigger of seeing him again.

His hair and eyes as well as his skin were the same as she remembered, but his jaw was angular instead of round. Handsome, yeah, but it did NOT erase all those bad times that hurt her so much she would do her best to avoid him altogether, and whenever the teacher put them as partners when there was no one else, they sure as hell competed until they were forced to find common ground...in a way.

In the beginning, Sasuke Uchiha didn't think she had it in her since she was just a girl, and wasn't anything compared to him. Especially when she tried asking him for help early on, and no reassurances from Kurenai-sensei could boost her self-confidence and self-esteem early on.

Each day that was also sunny, there would be clouds figuratively if not always literally, because of her mood.

She had to do her best and be happy going to school, learning even as she struggled.

Things were different now, so she'd see how this would go.

"Y-you two know each other?" Hinata finally asked softly, nervously putting her teacup down in worry of spilling or cracking the porcelain.

"I could ask the same thing. Sasuke?" Gaara asked suspiciously, which told her definitely that this befuddled jerk did _not _recognize her at all. She wasn't surprised; jerks usually didn't remember a face when they wanted to in pleasant terms.

Uchiha shrugged. "I have no real idea."

"Then you don't remember what a mean boy you were back in the day," Naru had to sneer, standing up and keeping her livid fury on him.

"I do remember that, and as much as I hated myself then, I was just a kid. I don't remember everything there is about being a child. Who are you exactly? Maybe your name could trigger my memory."

_Oh, I'm happy to oblige. _"Naru Uzumaki."

It was then and there that his eyes widened at once, and a startled, wordless sound escaped his lips, followed by: "Y-you..."

~o~

_Thirteen years ago..._

That girl in the orange and blue jumpsuit - he knew she was an idiot the first moment he laid his eyes on her. They all were; very few could take anything seriously other than BOYS. His father warned him of this, but assured him that they were not all the same. Even his mother said girls just wanted to have fun, so it wouldn't hurt for him to join that once in a while.

They almost lost the dodgeball game because of her, in gym class. Outside, the spring weather was warm and sweet, some clouds if not blocking the sun, but they were indoors. Once did she get hit in the face and fell down crying, but all he could do, like everyone else, was stand by and watch, and only Rock Lee as well as Gai-sensei were kind enough to get her out of there so she could get looked at before she came back into the game.

Close call, but their side still scored great. Sensei said it was just fun while "firing up your youthful passion", except Sasuke Uchiha took things much more seriously than most kids his age.

That girl, Naru, was just an annoyance who sat next to him, and he was stuck with her for the next five years unless his father made the choice to find a better school and pull him out.

But, despite her struggling and her spitting at him, nothing ever seemed to stop her. She knew how to get people smiling. He never even noticed until now. That was all there was.

~o~

He thought he'd seen her somewhere, and he hardly ever expected it to be from childhood. He hadn't thought of her for YEARS, so that was why.

That annoying crybaby - who wailed over every little mistake and screamed at him for every insult - had grown into a hell of a babe...and still feisty as ever. She never forgot about him for a second, and it was expectedly far from positive. Sasuke had no idea what to think of this, but all he knew was that he wanted her to know he wasn't that boy anymore.

And this girl was _Gaara's best friend. _Turned out that she must have told him about HIM - by "him", Sasuke meant himself - and then his roommate glanced at him, though devoid of emotion. That meant a serious talk when they were alone. And on day one of all times, when they had only just arrived!

"Well, whatever happened between you two," Gaara said instead, clearing his throat, "was a long time ago, and we are all adults now, so you two can try to work this out -"

"I don't think we can, if you think I'll owe you any kind of apology," Naru snapped at Sasuke directly, only for Hinata to step in.

"Come on, you two, don't fight already. Naru, will you do this - for me?" Her sweet question only calmed the blonde down, but he knew that wasn't the end of it. He heaved a quiet sigh of relief.

However, he somewhat had a hard time keeping his _unagi _\- grilled and sweetly flavored eel - down. He almost lost track of what the conversations would be about, including introductions, and onward to their plans of the future, and what he learned about Naru Uzumaki surprised him, but didn't at the same time: she wanted to be an artist as well as have her own gallery, if it were possible. Hinata Hyuuga's family owned the museum of art and antiquities, so she could always ring her old man up as a possible sponsor or let her new friend in on a job as a presenter when she didn't have new pieces to be made.

"What about yourself, Sasuke?" The way the blonde girl said his name made him flinch. "You going to join the police force like I heard your family has?"

He scowled at her. "I'm here for myself, not my father. My brother is doing just what you said. I plan to be either a high school or college professor on mythology - worldwide, other than our own." She was just making this harder than it needed to be; it made him wonder how he could ask Gaara for help when it was just the two of them - and that also meant he owed his roommate his side. He got his chance later when they were back in their room.

"I didn't even know you were the same one she talked about a long time ago," Gaara said, being the first one in, leaving Sasuke to lock up behind them. "Guess that explains why you didn't tell me your entire name today, but you didn't know who she was until now, right?"

"Yes to all," Sasuke grumbled, slinging his jacket over his arm and then slumping on the platform between the doorway and the room itself, taking off his sneakers. "You didn't know what she was like back then."

"You mean loud, crying a lot because of bullying for no reason, and struggling a lot of the time? She's my best friend; she tells me everything." Gaara then walked over to his side of the room, opening the top drawer of his nightstand to pull out a manga comic he loved since he was a boy. "You really didn't have it in you to even try making friends with her. She's a rare wonder of a woman. When we first met, I didn't think I could trust her since I never had friends. Imagine my surprise when I learned she never did, either. She helped me get out of my shell just by being the sunshine she was; she was bullied because no one knew her well. They were just jealous for no reason. Might as well have been your case, Sasuke."

Sasuke stiffened, staying that way even as he sat on the foot of his bed, turning his back to the other boy and looking out the window. _I never...thought of it that way._

"I didn't let myself make any friends, because I was under pressure. My father - no matter what I did - didn't exactly care less about what I did with my life. It used to be his words: 'keep excelling like this, and you'll be like your brother in no time.' Never called me his boy, like my elder brother. Itachi was always there for me, so eventually, he set me straight even after our mother died. But by then, it was difficult to keep a friend for life. A lot of them moved away or just lost interest in me...and the first girl I thought I loved was too much for me to handle. My brother even said I deserved better than that, so he made me promise to do better now that I am here."

He turned his face around the left corner of his range to see Gaara smiling, back up against the wall and sitting in the lotus position on his bed, comic opened up but no longer heeded. "Then you got your work cut out for you, if you want to show her that you're not the boy she remembers. I'll help you by trying to convince her when we have a class."

~o~

A small percentage of college students drove their own cars, while the rest who didn't live on campus would take the train as well as the bus. Naru and her roommate and new friend could be counted among that small number.

She didn't yet have a car of her own, but Hinata did. They would take turns for anything, but it was walking much of the time. Such was the norm.

They ended up having the same art class - in one of the temple-like structures in the southeast of the campus - and their sensei was a young man named Iruka Umino; he had brown hair in a somewhat spiky ponytail and a scar slashing across his nose. But he was full of energy and encouragement - and he turned out to be the very same man who was Naru's counselor. She was very excited to speak to him after class about this.

"There's a very famous quote: 'Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art.' An artist does not _just _wallow in the art; rather, find something in yourself in order to contribute to the art, and everyone - especially all of you - have something to contribute to. Of course, it does require polishing first, practicing your craft, and I'm sure some or a lot of you have been doing this since some time ago, whether it's early childhood or teen years, but it doesn't matter," Iruka-sensei told them all with a warm smile. "When you get yourself cemented, then that means you will get people on board in asking for you."

Naru had to give a smile at this; she looked forward to the challenge. She found a passion for art in everything else. She was over the moon excited, but she had to push it down to a minimum since there was such a thing as too much, which could get you in over your head. She glanced around at the hopeful faces around her, though some were nervous; all of them, as well as herself, were wearing crisp white shirts should they get any paint on them, and white could be bleached of the colors.

However, there was one slight issue she never counted on: _Sasuke Uchiha _would come in as a biweekly human model for them to work on.

_Oh, you got to be shitting me. _

**I watched a YouTube video, "Day in the Life of a Typical Japanese University Student", and included is the cafeteria which is called **_**gakushoku **_**in Japanese. Students choose to order their lunch there or bring their own from the local little stores. :) Take a watch since there' a little more. **

_**Furikake **_**is a Japanese seasoning sprinkled atop cooked rice, usually consisting of dried fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar and maybe salt; it could also have a powdered form of miso, freeze-dried salmon pieces, egg and any vegetable. **

_**Unagi **_**is grilled and flavored eel. **

**Don't remember who said those words about "the artist does not JUST wallow in the art", but Crispin Freeman (voice of Itachi-kun) says them especially in the first part of "Crispin Freeman | Talking Voices (Part 1)" on YouTube. That man is so awesome. :D**

**REVIEW! :3 And I would love much more detail, too. **


	3. Thousand Years of Frost

Chapter Three

Thousand Years of Frost

_Dear Sasuke, I know you don't want to speak to me again, but I gave a whole semester and just can't bear knowing the holidays won't ever be the same without you. Why did it have to end just because of the kind of person I am? :3_

Sasuke had to scoff at the ending - the symbol for the heart - which he once found sweet and endearing, but now it left a sour taste on his tongue. He forced himself on, reading the text as he waited outside his counselor's office: _I'm coming back home for the break, to be with my mom; can we at least talk or something? I never badgered you again since summer ended and you decided to leave me, staying here while I went to Kyoto. It's so romantic I wish you were -_

He had to stop there, unable to take any more of the desperation she was projecting onto him. He refrained from growling as he turned off the mobile - not all the way off - and shoved it into his jacket pocket, leaning back against the wall and taking a few deep breaths to calm down just as the door was opening, and leaving first was Shikamaru Nara, grumbling about "what a drag" it was. The guy was a genius, but a lazy one at that. Sometimes, you gotta wonder if he got something just handed to him as a result. Not that Sasuke hated him or thought of him as a problem.

When he went inside, he considered confiding in the man he was here to see - the one who taught his mythology and history class. "Sasuke, it's good to see you," Kakashi Hatake said lightly. "Never get tired of telling you that I am impressed with you. Perhaps I should take the early retirement and let you be my successor."

While those words were more than enough to make him smile with the hopeful promise, it was a small miracle because of what was on his mind. This the silver-haired man noticed and frowned slightly. "What's wrong?"

"...nothing much." But the lie didn't escape the man who promised him in the beginning that he could talk to him about anything.

"Now, Sasuke, I don't mean to talk to you like a kid again, but talking about whatever is bothering you always helps. I get the feeling it's nothing to do with what we usually discuss, right?"

_You got me. _"Yeah, it's someone I knew before I came here." Sasuke closed the door behind him and sat in one of the two chairs for visitors, on his left. "It's, um...it's someone I used to date in high school. It's hard to even talk about, when I tried to tell her that going our separate ways was for the best."

There was a pregnant pause before the man relaxed his stiff posture and leaned forward atop his desk. "...and she's not taking it well," Kakashi stated.

"That's an understatement." _And driving me insane. She never could take no for an answer. _"Like, I've done fine without her; she should be doing the same. From what I can tell, it might be so, but she can't function when it comes to a guy."

"Girl trouble...been there and done that. This one your first?" Sasuke nodded.

"Yeah, she persisted until I got tired and gave in. Thought that was how it worked: someone doesn't take no for an answer, it means you should just give them a chance, like my father used to say. My brother supported it, but he also warned me that girls who ask too much or hardly ever give a second thought as to what YOU want are also trouble. Turned out...Itachi was right. Therefore, when high school ended and I was accepted here, Sakura went off to Kyoto for medical school. She was still crying even when she said she'd never forget me and was confident we'd reconcile someday as adults." His fingers itched to pull out his phone, but decided against it, since those texts were his business alone.

Another pause and a hum as his counselor pondered how to advise him on dealing with this, and then... "Maybe you should just agree to see her if it's gonna come to that. Should she persist in person, threaten with a restraining order, and block her if you choose. Because law enforcement threats really do the trick - most of the time."

Just as he planned. He intended to avoid her if he heard she was back in town, but he would follow this advice. He thanked Kakashi for it, and after they spoke about what they normally would, he wished the man a happy holidays and was out of the office - and back in the dorm he shared with Gaara, when his friend had a surprise to relay to him from a certain young woman who slowly and slowly lessened her obvious hate of him.

"Naru was kind of... hesitant, but she was wondering if you would like to accompany her back home to her grandparents' for the holidays."

~o~

Christmas was right around the corner, but first came the start of the winter break until the new year.

Hinata and Gaara were both going back to their families, and so was she, but there was also the matter of Sasuke.

Here in Japan, the holiday wasn't celebrated in the same religious way as the west; solely, it was just a time for spreading joy. Families, couples and romance itself - no differently than Valentine's Day also in the west. All the more reason for their homeland to have the best time of the year.

It was also damned freezing out there, at the moment, and covered with snow. _Got to keep warm, so this comes in handy. _Naru was referring to the burnt orange sweater trimmed with white fleece wrapped around her torso, paired with tan leather boots buckled over washed out denims. And this wasn't all she'd be protected by while out there in the pristine but dangerously frigid wild. Nor would Hinata who was in jeans dark as her hair, paired with lush blue suede heeled boots colored like her turtleneck. And her roommate was in a giddy mood as she tied her long hair in a ponytail in case the wind would pick up.

"My father and Hanabi are gonna be glad to see me again," Hinata was saying as they were leaving the dorm, locking everything behind them. With any luck, they would be meeting the boys outside.

_Maybe Sasuke will give me his answer by then. If he says yes, we're taking the bus and then the train home. _

She'd been hesitant on inviting him at all to spend Christmas with her, Grandma and Grandpa. They both knew about him, and said it was okay ahead of time if he agreed even at the last minute, so here it would go. Add that Sasuke wasn't exactly close with his father like he was with his brother - who was still over in war-torn, ever-raining Ame - so it would be miserable to let him "enjoy" the holidays with a father he had no emotional connection with or even alone, which sounded worse. And to think they were nothing more than acquaintances in the beginning, only putting up with each other for their roommates' sakes - more on her end than his.

You heard right: she started to see that he wasn't the boy she remembered. He was a man now, and he stopped calling her an annoying loser of a girl, especially when he saw her exceed the majority of her classmates in Iruka-sensei's art course.

First day ended with her bursting on him right after the first time, being introductions more than anything else, but eventually would get serious. When their eyes first locked, the dam broke, and it was a miracle Naru had been composed until the end, and then she heard him calling for her when she and Hinata were leaving.

_"How can I ever trust anything you say? All I remember is a rude boy who didn't give me a second glance - not even a nice one - or compliment me, or even waste his time boosting my confidence! Don't think I need it now!"_

She never saw what he said coming. _"Look, I get it: you have this as your wall to protect yourself. That's what I did because I didn't have it in me to trust anyone. I didn't even have a lot of real friends, since you never know who is gonna use you and stab you in the back. This happens all the time. But my brother is right; he said that you should take chances and trust people. I'm not that boy anymore, Naru. Give me a chance to prove I'm a changed man."_

And Mom used to say that you should NEVER judge the book by the cover. Bitterly, she was torn between keeping her "wall" up as well as just putting her hate aside, since hatred did nothing but breed more of it. Her family raised her better than that.

She remembered what he said about having no one permanent because of his father being strict, expected too much, and how hard Sasuke worked for his approval only to get so little. It sounded very much like herself early on, so maybe she had to just start letting this grudge go, give herself and him a healthy peace of mind.

By the time she and Hinata were outside, there the boys were, and of course Sasuke would be with Gaara, who gave her a one-armed embrace while she gave him a full one, leaving Hinata to do the same, and now Sasuke Uchiha was all hers. Duffel bag around her shoulder - him the same, since they both were just visiting for the holidays - they stood face to face, and then he surprised her altogether with a light but present smile.

"Naru, if that offer is still open...the answer is yes. I'll go with you to your grandparents'."

_You jerk, you're gonna have a great time with us. _

~o~

Ever since moving in here, his routine with Gaara was like this: wake up and do some studying together, even relax with any manga to relieve any stress. Even a light breakfast he would make for them both, even a filling dinner at night, and let his roommate do the dishes each time.

Now they were leaving that, along with their studying times and part-time jobs - Gaara at the library, himself Kakashi-sensei's class assistant which was offered to him just before winter break rolled around, and he'd start as soon as the new year and semester began - for almost two weeks of fun and relaxation, and their employers were giving it to them.

He and Gaara met up with the girls outside - and it was then that he saw no trace of cold hate in Naru's eyes. That told him she was starting to warm up to him, and it made him forget about the cold of winter and the snow.

His roommate was heading back to his brother and sister - Kankuro and Temari - while Hinata was going back to her father and younger sister. She had a cousin on her father's side, but according to her, they were not close, not since they were children.

He agreed to go with Naru because he couldn't bring himself to see his father again. _If only Itachi were here. The holidays were always worthwhile because of him. Before Mom died, we were just like any other family. _It made him wonder if Naru and her grandparents would bring what he was going to miss this year with his _aniki._

Their bus stop was just around the corner, and then perhaps an eight-minute ride to the nearest train station. That meant a comfortable silence with her until their stop at the station, and for the next hour, it meant they had so much more to talk about. Naru, it turned out, lived a good enough distance from her grandparents, but transportation from bus to train was still necessary. _And students in this country often still live at home with their parents while still in college and after, and even after they get married as adults. This economy has a load to do with it. _

For his end, he was glad to get away from Fugaku because things were not what they used to be before Mikoto died, and at first, it seemed he would just spend this time doing whatever he had to, even if it meant getting himself a small piece of strawberry shortcake. Which Naru had added her grandma was hell-bent on making herself.

But it also ended up with her asking him about why he couldn't go back to his father, and he supposed he owed it to her. He could have told her over the course of the next couple weeks, but the last thing he wanted was a spoiled holiday.

"Hadn't told anyone else other than Gaara. Your mother's death isn't something you go around...telling everyone." Since she knew what it was like to lose her mother. "Mom had bone cancer - the worst stage ever. I was just eight at the time, so I remember it only because Itachi filled me in on the details. She got the bone graft, and for a while, everything was okay again...until she suffered the most horrendous pain ever, at first thinking it was just a muscle pull or a sprain. But when Dad took her to the doctor, it turned out that the cancer had returned, and furthermore, when things were again at the lowest point - she could hardly feel a thing in her ribs and pelvis, only getting worse at night - they were told that the bone came from a middle-aged woman rather than another close to Mom's age, and this bone brought the cancer back to the surface.

"It turned out that she was the latest in a line of...serial killings because of an underground group called the Akatsuki who specialized in harvesting bone marrows and organs, giving them to healthy human beings as well as extremely sick and desperate. They ruined not only our lives, but others'." He had to pause and squeeze his eyes shut at the memory of those people who took loved ones away from their families, all for both profit and the thirst for blood. "It got suspicious when Dad decided he couldn't ignore police instincts and launched an investigation, finding out there was another donor who got a transplant the same time Mom did, and this man died of lung cancer! Might as well be several others like them! If we had known this right away, then Mom...would still be alive."

He was just a kid at the time, but he was haunted by nightmares, thinking of those many dead bodies found in the morgue where the Akatsuki operated underground. He'd slept several times in Itachi's bed and would wake up crying in his brother's arms, and then one night, Fugaku put a stop to it and said that crying would not bring their mother back.

"...he was never the same after that," Naru stated, hesitating as if threatening to lose her speech. "He treated you the way he did because this was the best way to cope...but that does NOT excuse it." She was angry now. "I hope he also sued for damages."

Oh, his father did that and so much more: someone was irresponsible for not detecting the bone was bad sooner, which was why the lawsuit took place.

"Sasuke, please don't take this the wrong way, but you should take me to him at some point, and let me help patch it up between you guys."

He stiffened. He knew she would say something like this. If only he could agree to this, but she didn't know what kind of man his father was. "Naru, I'm sorry, but -"

It was just like her to not give up without a fight. "Sasuke, I know you'll say I don't know him. But it was also hard enough for me to grow up without a mom in the last few years. Before that, it was even more difficult to not have a dad; I never even knew him, and I don't think he even knows I exist. It hurt Mom when I even tried asking about him, and it was just as worse for Grandma and Grandpa. We've coped just fine by now, but the wound is still there. It's not healthy to live your life based on scars." She paused there, deep in thought as if wondering if she should cross this line.

"Would she have...still wanted her family happy after she was gone? Wanted her boys to heal?"

He hadn't thought about this for years, but Itachi always said their mom certainly would have, but their father never had it in himself to lower his barriers, because the loss of his wife had hit him so hard. Love was a terrible thing to lose. "You only live once," Naru went on, ever persistent, "so let us go to him maybe tomorrow. Can't be far away, right?"

Sasuke didn't have it in himself to answer her, but he was just pondering it. Instead, he managed only this: "I'll think about it."

~o~

It seemed all four of them knew what it was like to lose a mother. What were the odds?

Naru hated the Akatsuki for what they did to Sasuke's mother and others' loved ones. She remembered who they were because Hinata's mother was also gone because of them, as well as her uncle. _Those bastards paid with their freedom and lives together, but even that doesn't soothe anyone's thirst for revenge, or their release valves called anger. _

When she told him about growing up without a father, eventually without a mother, she hated how the man who sired her had been kept away from the woman he clearly was in love with, and likely never knew she existed. When she was a kid, she hated the knowledge and was sometimes shouted at by Kushina for even bringing him up. Then when Kushina died in the plane crash - and one man had been responsible, even bringing more innocent people down with her - it was like her world had been ripped apart. That manner of death different albeit from Sasuke's tragedy...

She knew how to lighten the mood, knew how to bring people together, so perhaps she could take the chance with his father, and Sasuke did agree he would consider it for the holidays, which made her feel a little better.

Now they finally arrived at their destination, and he offered to pay for the cab, since home wasn't that far away, and they were both too tired to walk the rest of the way in this icy cold.

Except, by the time they were waiting for the cab to arrive, a sweet but somewhat shrill voice called out his name: "Oh, Sasuke! It's been a while!" And hearing that, he stiffened at once, refusing to look in the direction of the person yelling for him. But Naru had it in herself to look, and held her breath. There was a pretty young woman about their age, though who the heck had _pink hair _the way she did?! Her eyes were bright and green, a vivid contrast to the olive green parka paired with the dark blue jeans and white sneakers. Her hair was pixie-cut, almost like a pop or rock star's.

"...Sakura." The way he said her name was just as cold as ice. "Part of me thought you'd be in a slip-and-slide accident on ice as soon as you returned. It's a shame it had to be on the same day as me."

Her smile was gone when her eyes locked with Naru's. "You mean, same day as you _both?_ Who is your friend, Sasuke?" she asked, quickly changing to sweet like whiplash, making Naru angry a little.

"I'm Naru," she said before he could respond. "We're going to my grandparents for Christmas. I hope you're going to have a great time, too." From the way he was speaking to her, it sounded like they did know each other but had a falling out. _Something I need to ask him myself. Could be..._

_Could be an ex-girlfriend, I think. _

"Oh, so this is why you refuse to talk to me," Sakura said coldly, glaring at him now. "Why you don't want to even see me now; you just want someone else who -"

Sasuke snapped then and there.

"If you don't shut up, Sakura, you're going to regret ever being in my life," he growled, clenching the handle of his suitcase so tightly his knuckles turned white as the snow that began to fall from the overcast skies. "You won't accept things as they are, you just can't get over the fantasy you want instead of what's in front of you - just as you let what happened to your father run your mental state - and if you stalk me again, I'm getting a court order!"

It was then that their cab arrived. Naru was too stunned to even say anything, just as the pink-haired woman looked so gob-smacked her face began to twist - there was a glaze as she fought not to cry - and Sasuke pushed Naru's shoulder, hissing at her to get inside so they could get the hell out of here. Quickly, he put their luggage into the trunk, and she forced herself to not make any more eye contact with the young woman she was sure was now glaring at them both. Her spinal nerves itched and quivered in an uncomfortable way.

Sasuke was in the back of the cab with her, not before snapping at Sakura to go away before he called the cops, and then he locked his side of the back, which was the cabby's cue to get them out as he apparently had a good intuition about these things. When they were riding away now, Naru mustered the courage to ask him what all of that was about, maybe a minute or two later which seemed like an eternity. He sighed, shoulders slumping.

"Long story short," Sasuke answered when they were in the cab, "she was my girlfriend in high school. But she...she had a crazy side I couldn't handle, and I broke up with her, telling her it was for the best. She just won't take no for an answer. She has a future like me, but if she keeps this up, it's not going to end well for her. I'm really sorry you had to see this, Naru."

Not only that, but she succeeded in isolating him from what few "friends" he used to have, so that she was all he could go to, until he manned up. He had a new life he was working for, but here she was at a time like this. Naru clenched her jaw; she had been told people like that were the ones you needed to REALLY watch out for.

She hoped that things wouldn't get crazier than they were now.

**The computer pass used to get around on trains especially in Japan are called **_**teikiken**_**. One of those ways to save up on money. :) In the video I have used so far, "Day in the Life of a Typical Japanese University Student", the student as part of the subject has unlimited rides between his home as well as his university. **

**The short story of Mikoto Uchiha's death was based off the episode "The Graft in the Girl" from the TV show Bones (S01E20). And the info on bone cancer can be found on healthfully . com - spaced out because of FF requirements - under the article "What Are the Main Symptoms of Bone Cancer in a Woman?" **

**It felt scary to write the moment between Sasuke and Naru against Sakura. :S I mean, I'm a little worried someone will say something nasty, such as bashing the pinkette (it is FAR from the truth, since I love Sakura and have moved on from the way she was in Part One), but that bashing shit is for hysterical fanboys and fangirls who can't cope with their emotions. A long time ago, I was just like that. **

**Review, review, REVIEW! MORE LOVIN' DETAIL! :3**


	4. Osmanthus

Chapter Four

Osmanthus

Home was just as she remembered: being a single story but with more than enough space and everything you needed, the screen and glass windows shut tightly to prevent winter from getting in, painted dark brown so that it was warm and inviting rather than cold and formal, and the tiled roof had been repaired in her absence. Plus, the small water fountain in the miniature courtyard looked like it was a gigantic ice tray, centered with a rise of raw crystals which had once been flowing water.

To see Grandma and Grandpa again made her cry tears of joy, and the waterworks might have frozen on her skin and cracked into fragile crystals. She hadn't seen them since the first year began, and they really hadn't changed much; both were warmed up for the weather. Jiraiya's well-muscled build - which he still retained in his age - was outlined by the red-and-gray herringbone sweater. Tsunade's large breasts and slim waist had the same treatment in that fringed ombre sweater of aqua and dark blue, like the sky and ocean meeting.

It appeared her grandma had applied the latest blonde dye to her tomato-red hair which, by now, had faded to brown-gray. It looked fresh, so it could have been yesterday since hair dye didn't work its magic that fast.

"Oi, there she is!" Jiraiya whooped, scooping her up and spinning around, causing Naru to drop her duffel bag, which was caught by Tsunade who grimaced a little at the weight, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. Not that Naru wasn't aware of how old her grandparents were. "Still not too big for this, kiddo. Hadn't heard you say no yet."

Mentally, she should be too old for that, but she could have said so when she was a teenager going through all those stages. "Thanks, Grandpa." She kissed him back on the cheek as he did the same to her. Then she gave the attention to her grandmother who hugged her with one arm before handing her bag to her.

"Better take this in before I collapse, Naru. Your grandpa and I just finished a nice hot pot for all of us - and you, too, Sasuke." She turned and winked at him when he came up behind Naru.

And how could you not say yes to a nice, sumptuous, hot pot meal as soon as you return to your roots? This was what you would call a _nabepa _\- a hot pot party which involved friends and families gathering in the cold of winter, and the ingredients used this time were to die for: lamb, chicken, crab, lobster, as well as vegetables in the form of carrots, mushrooms, and _udon_ noodles. _And nothing like _dashi_ broth to stir it all in and warm the bones, yum!_

Grandma Tsunade really could cook the hell out of a duck when she shot one herself. Since retiring from the hospital a few years ago, this really was what she put her mind to rather than slipping into drinking again like she did before Naru was old enough to understand that stuff. And to think she did it when finding out that the man her daughter had been in love with was forced away from her, unknowingly leaving her with a child and _unmarried_...

But none of that mattered. This had been a house full of love and remained so. And it was ready to welcome Sasuke for the first time.

"So, Sasuke, you might not remember me, but I was there when your..." Tsunade paused then and there, clearing her throat and turning her back to lock the main screen door to the house. Grandpa had offered to just take their bags since they'd been doing this pretty much all afternoon. "Well, your mom. I was one of the doctors who tried to save her, but those damned bastards who had been right under our noses!" She growled through her teeth, and not only did Sasuke stiffen, but this was the first time Naru had heard of this. Her grandmother didn't talk about every single one of her past patients; this must have been one of the most sensitive ones she preferred keeping to herself, not letting it affect her family.

All Sasuke could do was hum and nod, not knowing what to say, and then finally managed, "Thank you for trying, Dr. Uzumaki."

"Oh, please, just call me Tsunade. I retired a long time ago." _Really, just three years ago. _"And I also know what it's like to lose someone, besides my daughter," Tsunade said sadly, walking in between them now and with a hand on each shoulder. "My brother died in the war a long time ago, after Kushina was born, when the stryker he was in had been blown up by enemy soldiers in Iwa."

And that was the end of it. No more further discussions of death and sadness, but what was gotten out of the way was that her grandparents did side with her when she announced for Sasuke - much to his annoyance - that they would go see his father tomorrow, which was the emperor's birthday.

Today was warm and relaxing, even if there was not _that _kind of heating and air conditioning in this country - nothing but dressing warm as well as savoring warm food - and Sasuke got to rest up in the only guest room there was in the house, only to wake up to hot tea as well as rice porridge if not the kind you'd eat when you were sick.

And it was today that she and Sasuke decided to leave the house to head south of the neighborhood, where richer people lived. The snow hadn't fallen again yet, but here, this was ancient beauty at its finest. No doubt there were some people who lived like they were from a different time in spite of being in the modern era, when long ago, this country lost its identity after the loss of World War II.

And here they were, at a two-story estate with the roofs and beams all painted black, the _shoji_ panels ever stark white like rice, and some pillars made up of river rocks and cement. Bright red contrasted against the pristine white and midnight in the form of the railings on each level, all the way around. There was also a big-ass pond which might as well be filled with fish and lotus blossoms, but due to its size, it was barely covered with ice and had frosted the flowerless pads. It was a masterpiece, though Naru couldn't imagine living here all alone, and it was sad that it hadn't been filled with familial love in a hell of a long time.

And surprisingly, there was a man wandering the opened corridors, and bundled up in black beneath a charcoal gray trench coat. His features were stern masculinity, in a strangely attractive way. His hair was a little length past his ears, dark brown, and his eyes were black. But despite the firm lines, Naru saw the sadness in his irises. He was wandering the grounds, with nothing better to do.

This was Sasuke's father, he whispered in her ear. Fugaku Uchiha. Something inside her snapped, and with her hands in her pockets, Naru made way up the walkway and onward to the east of the property, intent on standing in front of that man, but Sasuke chose to stay behind because he didn't want to speak to the man he had no real love for.

"Sir! Uchiha-san!"

He looked up at her and glared, brows furrowed in a straight line. "What are you doing, leaving snowy footprints on the floors?!" he barked back, making her halt; she'd taken maybe three steps and had left a few visible spots accented with the snow she'd tracked herself. But she wasn't fazed.

"Well, forgive me, but I didn't think you would hear me the first time," Naru returned, turning and walking back in the direction she'd come from, standing at the top of the stairs. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm a friend of your son's."

He raised an eyebrow. "I have two sons, young lady. Which one do you mean - wait, Sasuke." He realized it off the bat, and then he looked past her to see said son who chose to come out from his hiding place behind the bushes guarding the estate's front door. But Sasuke just lifted his chin. "I was going to say that you weren't going to come home this year. I wouldn't have been surprised."

"I almost didn't," Sasuke answered, cool and stoic. "It was her idea to come here. Father, this is Naru Uzumaki."

The man's eyes widened, which told her that one more adult she never knew all her life had been acquainted with her mother. He cleared his throat then. "Oh, well, it's a pleasure to meet you, too. We should take this inside - but damn it, I'll have to ask the maid to wipe up that mess you brought in."

Naru had to laugh. "I can do that myself. I made the mess, I'll clean it up."

~o~

He had a great time with Naru and her grandparents. It was everything he'd wanted and more.

Her grandmother's strawberry shortcake was a dish made in heaven, and it reminded him of the times his mother used to make it every year, even at the worst times of her condition. In spite of himself, he moaned in delight at the spongy softness and sweet taste that melted on his tongue like liquid. This made everyone laugh their heads off. _No wonder this is perfect for birthdays besides Christmas. _

Best part of Christmas Day coming up: all that fried chicken, and it was something Jiraiya would go insane over and drool like a child much to the amused annoyance of his wife.

But on the first day back, it was when he had to force himself to venture out to his childhood home with her - and there was the man who sired him, aimlessly wandering the courtyard, and Naru didn't even hesitate on going that way as soon as she saw him, risking tracking snow and Fugaku's scolding. Nothing fazed her.

"You almost didn't come home this year. I'm not surprised," Fugaku had told him as the three of them sat on their knees in the traditional meeting room, still filled with the tatami mats and golden, scenic paintings. And the maid, Chitose - whom he'd known since birth - was still there, and served them warm roasted tea, spiced up with just a small hint of sake. His father did this only for special occasions, and this was no different.

"But, Sasuke, I think it's a good time for something that's long overdue. I know I was never much of a father to you since your mother died." His attention shifted then to Naru who said nothing; her face was equally unreadable. "You don't have to tell me that you forgive me, but I'm proud of the man you've become, just like your brother. And your new friend here - I would have made the wrong impression if she was more than that. I'd been hoping that you would find a woman who makes you happy just like your mother did."

How long had he waited to even hear those words from the man he all but gave up on? He was at a standstill; he was torn between lashing out - but that was disrespecting your elders - and just accepting it whether his feelings meant it or not, but Naru was there before him.

"Fugaku-san, you've earned my respect. Except I can see Sasuke isn't ready to give his answer." He couldn't help but glare at her with dismay. "But that doesn't mean you're gonna spend the holidays alone. I'd have to ask my grandparents first, but they might say yes to you spending the days with us! It's sad and depressing to be cooped up in these cold, empty walls with no cheer, and surrounded by heartbreaking memories."

Both father and son were speechless by her "rescue mission". Neither had it in them to even respond to that, and she wasted no time pulling out her mobile to ring her grandfather up, since Jiraiya was more than willing to have another at the house and believed in the holiday spirit. Tsunade, on the other hand, would raise her voice and say that she should have been asked first - but she would get over it.

Eventually, Christmas Eve had rolled around before anyone knew it, and it was on this day that Sasuke should have been with Sakura - no, that was her line of thinking. He meant that he should have been with a girlfriend or something on this day, but instead, he was with a new friend he finally made after months of just being acquainted.

Except...could he really call her just a friend now?

_Maybe it started today, or it's been there for a while, but either way, it's coming to the surface. It's been almost six months since I left Sakura, Naru has never had a boyfriend - and today is Christmas Eve. _

He should have guessed there would be a hint, but his father - whom he decided to spend the day with, leaving Naru with her grandparents - had suggested that he enjoy tonight with her, since before he and Mikoto got married, that was what they did as friends. "Nothing wrong with that," Fugaku had said, and he'd missed the damned sparkle at that time. But he took the advice and decided that the little café in the neighborhood would suffice; he'd been so lucky to get a last-minute reservation then, since it was a hell of a busy time of year. And he got a great view next to a window where the snow was falling, along with several other lucky couples.

Surprise, surprise: Naru wanted nothing serious but a bowl of ramen made for the holiday, including the fresh new greens and the fish pieces swirling with red. When she could have chosen something richer, but she hated overindulgence.

When night fell and he was ready to take her out, he was in a royal blue satin shirt, sans tie, with a black suit...and he felt like the breath had been knocked out of his lungs at the sight of her in that cute black mini dress which reached her knees, the elbow-length sleeves ruffled - above a slimming but warm catsuit, also dark - and covered all over with silvery vines and flowers. And when she could have worn boots again for the snow, she'd chosen satiny flats of light blue with a bow.

She was just...beautiful, and he wasn't going to deny it. Not that he never noticed before. And to think that he never paid attention when they were kids, just seeing that she had been too different from him.

It was then that he also noticed something else different about her when he was taking in that fair, ivory skin, those sweet pink lips and eventually that column of a neck: impeccable, emerald-cut aquamarines in her ears which were sided altogether with six diamonds each - he was attentive to detail now over just everything, it seemed - and around her neck was a slightly larger aqua gem in a crown-like frame also set with brilliant fire.

To finish it off: that jewel centered on her right hand, cut the same as the others, was shouldered with two perfect whites. "Like them?" Naru asked, showing them off by pushing her hair behind her ears as well as leaning forward, making him gulp as she actually _pushed her chest out towards him_, and then holding her hand out to him for him to take as they were walking out of her grandparents' house. "They're Grandma's. She let me wear them. Said tonight was when I needed to feel like royalty for a change."

Sasuke wasn't disagreeing with Tsunade on that one.

Who would have guessed that their table spot would end up playing a part in the mood tonight? Street lights on to make the falling snowflakes glow like amber fire, the table itself centered with shimmering mercury filled with fresh wintry greens, red and white roses, shiny berries and apples, and swirling silvery snowflakes, finished with a glowing, ivory candle. And as soon as they had been seated, the waiter not only took their orders but also gave them each a sprig of mistletoe, berries and all.

_Just like in Europe through the ages, mistletoe has always been used for medicines, but while it's used as an overhead spot for lovers making out, here it is something to put in your hair to bring happiness. _

In their tongue, mistletoe was called _yadorigi_.

Conversations? It was hard to talk when you enjoyed the food and a gorgeous girl in front of you - and a gorgeous girl who didn't ask for anything but worked hard and enjoyed just the simplest things. This virtue made it hard to hate her, and anyone who did was an idiot. Just like he used to be.

What happened when they were leaving had sparked what he was sure was the red thread's confirmation: when they were leaving the café, some random guy accidentally bumped into Naru, sending her right into Sasuke's arms, his instincts on alert as he caught her right away...

...and not only did his arms wrap around her waist, but their lips connected for the very first time.

As clichéd as it sounded, the sparks flew that night. He started to think that his father and her grandparents must have suspected this could happen without him or her knowing.

Sasuke began to think this was how girls described love to be: blushing, heart pounding at an uncontrollable rate, and his skin being on fire if not from frostbite. Speaking of which, they had to get back home before the cold killed their digits.

Christmas rolled around, but he had kept these newfound feelings to himself. Though, that didn't stop him from giving her the blue diamond ring - the one Itachi had bestowed to him - that had belonged to his mother, not telling her its true purpose just yet, risky as it was. And what she gave him blew him away: a brand new watch made of stainless steel, the face midnight blue when catching the light and black when it was out of the light's range.

By the time the New Year came around, he officially decided in his heart that he wanted her to be the mother of his children.

But he was also ready to face either rejection or prolonged waiting.

~o~

Even in high school years and long before, boys didn't like her because they were intimidated by her for no apparent reason.

Gaara liked her, but not in THAT way. He would always be her best friend. Sasuke, on the other hand...

She had fun with him on Christmas Eve, doing it as just friends, because while it was rare, man and woman - or young man and woman - would do it that way, and the best relationships always began as friendships...which were the words of her grandparents, and it shocked her that they thought of her and Sasuke as possibly like THAT.

They remembered Sasuke Uchiha as the boy she described him as back in the day, but now as a man, he wasn't like that at all. She was well aware that he admired and respected her, and he hadn't even been able to take his eyes off her that night of the eve - which culminated with the accidental lip-lock because of some dude who bumped into her by mistake and sent her right into Sasuke's arms.

But she wasn't saying that she was disgusted. His lips were soft against hers, no trace of saliva to make contact with - now _that_ was gross - and emitting the electricity through her nerves. That was exactly what it was, and she was never able to get rid of it from her psyche.

And as a gift, when she gave him that watch, she never saw his end coming in the form of the ring which now adorned her right middle finger, fitting like a glove - his mother's ring finger had been bigger than hers - and it was a blue diamond in the shape of a water drop, cradled by silver vines placed with a girl's best friend. _Just like a dewdrop on leaves. _

"It was my mom's. It's not an engagement ring - yet - but I want you to have it."

Her grandparents were really having a field day...and so had his father who was coming out of his shell he'd had up for so long. Seeing it, the tears burned the corners of her eyes. It felt amazing, was the most beautiful thing ever, and more importantly was the meaning.

The new year ended up being them going to Tokyo Disneyland together, and how fun it was to enjoy it with him - and of course, her grandfather acted like the child he still was, but it didn't stop her grandmother from sharing the joy with him.

It was by spring that she really began to realize it, and it was during the time of the cherry blossoms, which was common for a load of young couples in love as well as people in general, because of the celebration of the beauty and transience of life. As much as she hated the short-lived aspects, it was all true. Just when things would be at the highest, something else would come and smash it with a boulder or something.

Hinata and Gaara were with them that day, all four of them sharing a picnic beneath a large blossom tree in the public park; she and Sasuke were on the bench while their roommates were seated on the fresh grass. The Hyuuga beauty in mauve with a skirt layered like lettuce, the black sheep son in a striped maroon sweatshirt and jeans - they did look like a cute pair, and anything Gaara would say made the girl laugh while anything she said just made him smile slightly.

_They might make a great pair in the future, because I can see it myself. _

If that happened, it would be because Hinata understood what it was like, as much as Naru, to want to be accepted and approved of, to be surrounded by people who cared about you.

Speaking of which, there was a certain young man who loved the rice balls she made with Hinata - though, her friend's cooking skills were far better than hers ever would be, and her specialty would always be ramen and other noodles more than anything - in a blue-and-black raglan shirt which fitted to his torso nicely, so you could see the outlines of his muscles. _He works out with Gaara at the gym three times a week to stay fit the way he does._

Next thing she knew, he surprised her with a small but strongly scented bouquet of osmanthus, in her favorite sunset orange, snowy white and sunshine yellow. Naru gasped; it was one of her favorites, alongside the rose, forget-me-not and sweet pea.

"Naru, aside from Gaara and my brother, you're the best friend I never had. Aside from them, too, you've helped make me into a better man, and taught me that old wounds should never live life for me. Which is why I wanted to give you these."

He didn't outright say he was in love with her, but she could see it in his eyes, and she cried with joy, leaning into his shoulder while Gaara and Hinata watched on with smiles on their faces.

~o~

Summer had finally come, and then they were free until autumn to follow.

Hot weather as well as incoming fun and excitement.

And that also meant something Sasuke had been told that he would end up doing eventually, when temperatures were higher rather than during cold winter, since heating devices were limited. He had been promised in the beginning when he took this modeling job part-time, and at first, he had been shocked. Not once in his life did he ever consider that he'd be brave enough to do this.

And not only would it be in front of all those other young men and women who were first-years and required to act "professional" about this, but _she _would be there, along with her roommate.

When he first came in, he was wearing only a kimono robe of white and blue ombre, painted with a tree branch that had a hawk perched on it, the wings flapping in preparation for flight. He stepped onto the small platform in the middle of the floor beyond the students who were blushing after being told by Iruka-sensei what they would be doing today. He made an effort to not look any of them in the eye - especially Naru - but did as he had been told in turning around so that his back faced them...

...and cue opening the robe, letting the fabric fall around his feet, exposing his naked flesh to their eyes.

This was the product of going to the gymnasium three times a week with Gaara: an immaculate back as well as arms and legs, just like the Adonis himself, and of course a perfectly rounded ass - all as though molded with clay. His pose included having his left knee bent out slightly while his hand on that side of his body bent at the elbow so that his hand could come to rest in his wavy locks. No doubt the girls in this room were suffering nosebleeds they couldn't control...but that would get worse when they would see the "masterpiece" in the front.

He could just hear some students whispering to each other while doing what they were supposed to, only to be silenced and lectured by their sensei who added that whatever their sexual fantasies were, no one else - himself included - wanted to hear, and they could deal with their "problem" when class was over, replay it in their brains all they wanted, but it wasn't for him to hear. _You took the words out of my mouth. _

It felt like a hell of a long time passed, when Iruka finally told him to turn around so that the "best is saved for last". When he did, Sasuke definitely saw mixed reactions: schooled professionalism, but half of those were flushed pink. Some girls giggled and covered their mouths with their hands - and poor Hinata got so red she actually fainted and fell out of her chair.

Naru, on the other hand, avoided looking at him altogether - and her cheeks were equally tomato-red - just as she dove for her friend's side, helping her sit back up. The girls were joined by Sai and Iruka-sensei, the latter swearing that the Hyuuga was going to be okay, then asked for someone to take her to the nurse, and promised that she would eventually be given a second chance.

_Naru...she's sweet and flustered, while being composed and professional. And she's also in that knitted orange dress she wore on the day I gave her the flowers. _

Which brought him back to his new posture, similarly being the knee bent - this time on the right side - but his hand was touching his shoulder, nearly caressing it, and his head tilted up north so that he looked at the ceiling while taking care to not stare into the lights there. He had to take a few breaths at a time to calm down the sensitivity in his nipples which were exposed to all those eyes; he'd be damned if he grew hard down there, too. Not only did his raised, lithe pectoral muscles and four-pack get the special attention, but so did where he was concerned about being roused. Last night - Iruka's request, which made him disbelieved and shocked - he'd shaved his groin area entirely, and it had been so difficult to not cut something important. The man was specific about this especially, just as it was taboo in this country to even show pubic hair in media, as well as manga pornography. Even without it, he never realized how sensitive he really was.

He could just hope this didn't leak out to his father, outside the school grounds.

Sasuke was relieved when class was over, and given he had two more hours of free time until he joined as Kakashi-sensei's assistant, Iruka let him take a look at the works each student did - he'd dressed back up in his own clothes - and he was amazed, though it didn't surprise him that some of the obviously horny girls were too distracted by his looks to even perfect his angles.

Naru was one of the few who got his proportions down to a _perfect _tee, front and back - and he trusted her more than the others, in his opinion. This showed how much she DID love him.

**In Japanese cuisine, hot pot meals are known as **_**nabemono**_**, and there are dozens of different styles and flavors. The one that Naru, her grandparents and Sasuke had was the **_**shabu-shabu**_** (more savory and less sweet than the other popular form called **_**sukiyaki**_**).**

**Tsunade being called Dr. Uzumaki - let's say that Uzumaki is Jiraiya's surname as we never learn what it is. :) Does it fit to a tee, rather than calling her by her family name of Senju for a change?**

**Chitose the maid was named after the Japanese singer Chitose Hajime, known for singing "Haru no Katami" ("Memory of Spring") which is the credits song for the anime Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror. **

**In Japan, the 23rd of December is the Emperor's birthday, thus a national holiday, and the holiday break often starts around this day; there is also a New Year school break. It's not a surprise that schools are closed on Christmas Day itself, even though it's not really the country's national holiday. **

**Gonna come as a fun surprise, in case anyone never knew: Kentucky Fried Chicken IS consumed often on Christmas Day. (which made me happy because my family love it as much as Popeyes) Dates back to 1974. **

**Like in Europe where people used mistletoe in healing properties long before they became part of Christmas, mistletoe in Japan was also believed by the people to have healing powers. It's leaves and stems were used - and still are - in various medicines, whilst the sprig itself could be put in your hair as a means to bring joy. **

**Osmanthus is one of many popular flowers in Japan. Though considered an autumn blossom, it's said to first be planted in either summer or autumn, produce buds in clumps - as well as purple-black fruits - and then be mature by springtime. :3**

**Just wanna say thank you for those reviews I have gotten so far, but since this is my first time to have GaaHina as a pairing - secondary to SasuNaru, though - I am gonna have my work cut out for me as to how to play out their relationship. **

**Meantime, more reviews please! :D I'd planned for this final scene since the beginning, so please, please, PLEASE! **


	5. Gifts of Springtime

**Spoiler alert: information of Japanese college graduations, from the article "University Graduation Ceremonies in Japan" from Japan Info. :) Take a look after reading this, if you want to. **

Chapter Five

Gifts of Springtime

They finally made it to graduation day, four years later.

And here at home, graduation ceremonies differed immensely from all over the world, and you could say a dress code was NOT required - which made Naru Uzumaki's day - although, you still had to dress your best. _It also means you can put on sandals if you want to. _And on this day which she and her friends worked so hard to come to, she picked her favorite black dress and blue satin flats..._which I wore on that first Christmas Eve with him. But this time, without the bodysuit._

A special touch: the sapphire cabochon studs, bracelet and necklace from her mom, so that Kushina was with her in spirit on this big day. And even though she would never meet Mikoto Uchiha, at least the ring Sasuke gave her for Christmas four years ago meant she was also with them.

Hinata could have picked out something like the kimono robe and _hakama_ pant-skirt - which was usually part of the optional formal attire - but she settled on an off-shouldered, sensual amethyst velvet dress which reached her ankles, the sleeves flouncing. Her short heels resembled Cinderella's glass slippers, though made for comfort. Lavender-tinted midnight hair was tied below her neck with a scrunchie encrusted with iridescent crystals to show off the new earrings she'd just gotten herself: icy drops just like her favorite pendant.

It also appeared that Gaara couldn't get enough of an eyeful of her. They'd been in what you could call a "sweet flirtation courtship", and after this day, they might as well finally get serious. Hiashi Hyuuga really approved of his daughter's choice.

Now that winter was over, the cherry blossoms could bloom once again. The end of one thing was the beginning of another, the old saying said. And what better way to celebrate the end of college than going all-out?

Several young women dressed similarly to Naru and Hinata, while others donned the kimono robe without the obi sash, joined with the previously mentioned pant-skirt; they certainly did not come cheap, of course, along with hair and makeup. And the young men mostly were in just suits and ties, rarely ever going out in the male version of the getup.

She used to have terrible stage fright, especially standing in front of large groups of people, but that was when she was a kid. _That means not a lot of people staring at you, no roll calling, and you don't get to go up there to get your diploma. Class reps do that for you and distribute them in a smaller service after the main hall event. _

In other cultures, parents were always there at their children's college graduation events, because it was pride on the parents' parts and how much it meant for the students, although here in Japan, it was more of a true celebration for the graduates, their friends and professors, and as they had temporary freedom before going into the real world, it meant drinking parties and good food as well as whatever the hell they wanted. Now _this _was what you would call proper entering into real adulthood!

In a few days, she and Hinata would head over to her father's art museum, and that meant giving him her masterpiece she spent the whole past weekend on and had gone to great lengths to keep safe.

It was a hell of a time they had today, before the day ended. Just as it felt great to have her diploma in hand - _ready or not, freedom and adulthood, here we come!_

Choji Akimichi, who was going to join his family's bar and grill and then someday be its owner, had all this great food prepared at the very same place. She, Hinata and the boys would come here a lot during summertime. And was it a long table in heaven for this select group of the best who came from Konoha University: ramen, for no place should be without her favorite food. There was also mild and spiced curry, rice balls wrapped in seaweed as well as bowls of white, brown and the red bean-stained _sekihan_. A sushi platter mixed with just about everything you could imagine, as well as a boat with those same items. Skewered meats and seafoods of variety.

Oh, and heaven sent: there was the grilled bonito, since it was a spring favorite.

You could never go wrong with the sweets table, either, though it was too bad her Sasuke didn't like those things as much as she did. She began with all the mochi sweets, from the green mugwort cakes - which also could be used as medicine - along with the red bean paste-filled _daifuku, _mochi ice cream and the popular green tea ice cream, and of course the dreamy-looking raindrop cake which gained its popularity a few years ago.

"Itachi would just let his watering mouth show if he saw the dango," Sasuke told her once, chuckling. "I used to like them as a kid, but one day after I had too much, I felt so sick I decided to not have anything sugary anymore. I just prefer the canned stuff." He was referring to the _anmitsu _which had just about anything in it, and thank the gods it was here tonight.

Naru found herself getting a combination of peaches, some meatballs, and of course white dango balls to serve as toppings. This she and her friends always got from the machines at school in between classes. At least Sasuke loved something this sweet like she did. He got one with her, though his had pineapples, some cherries, the meat and the peaches.

They were both at the tea machine when her hand came into contact with another by mistake, someone who was reaching for the tea cups. "Oh, yeah, sorry -!" the person exclaimed, but when Naru saw who it was, she heard herself harshly gasp with Sasuke.

_I thought we were never going to see HER again. Damn it, this town is just too small - or she just can't take no for an answer, after all. _

She locked herself with a pair of green eyes she hadn't seen since that day she and Sasuke went back to her grandparents, and her heart froze on the outside with ice while booming furiously against her sternum.

~o~

What...the...HELL...was she doing here?!

Pink hair had grown a little longer to the point of being held in a high ponytail, and also to show off those earrings he gave her along with the necklace and that ring around her left middle finger: emeralds and diamonds all in all, the drops in her ears ringed with white, while the asscher-cut green in the rest were framed with brilliance. Her still possessing them after all this time proved that she was never going to get over him.

He quickly pulled his eyes away from roaming over her body after taking in her small curves outlined by the form-slicing blouse striped with pink and white, paired with the green skirt that matched her eyes and burst with three-dimensional flora of red, blush and white.

Naru hissed, quickly grabbing her cup and filling it close to the brim with the yellow-green fluid, intent on getting away and taking great care to not lose her dish of the desserts. Sasuke's hold tightened on the opened can of his chosen selection, knuckles turning white.

"I thought I told you never to come back," Sasuke found himself growling. "I warned you -"

"Shut. Up." Her voice was soft, sweet even, which stunned him altogether. "I'm not here for you or for me. I was just invited because my boyfriend had graduated today. I came for him, and I just wanted you to know that we are good. I'm done with going for you. And Naru, you don't need to worry about a thing, too."

How the hell was he supposed to believe that, now that she was here? He was torn between believing it and not, but then again, she hadn't picked up after his threat four years ago. Yet she was here now because..._because she has a new man. She's here only for him. _

But why did it sound too good to be true? He knew her too well enough for that, but then again, four years had gone by. People could change in absence.

"And who is this new man of yours?" Naru asked suspiciously, before an excited voice broke the atmosphere.

"That would be me! Rock Lee at your service - the next generation of the marathon!"

And there he was: black hair in a bow-cut, dressed in a green jumpsuit that Sasuke never would, in a million years, think to subject himself to. And those brows might as well join together to form a long caterpillar. He reminded him of - oh, wait, that name did ring a bell. He hadn't seen this guy in a hell of a long time and NEVER knew he'd been at Konoha U. Naru seemed to be thinking the same. "Rock Lee, oh, God! It's been a long time!" She laughed.

Both of them knew him back when they were kids, and then Sasuke went to a prestigious middle school onward to high school, so he never saw either of them again. _Lee had been here for physical therapy and mixed martial arts, so he had different hours from all four of us. We never even bumped into him, that's what. _

And the way he looked at Sakura: it was pure worship and adoration. In return, she blushed, giggled a little and accepted a kiss on the cheek from him. Just like the tame, sweet and chaste romances in the stories and films. Though...

He didn't get to continue his train of thought when Shikamaru Nara, Choji's friend, cleared his throat and raised his voice. He had one hell of an announcement to make because they were going separate ways very soon, and they were going to make the best of it.

"Yeah, I've been told to stop calling things a drag - good and bad, or just indifferent - but it's a habit that's still hard to kick. Some things are just born into you, and you can't get rid of them even if they're beaten with you." He laughed nervously, almost spilling the can of sweet red wine in his hand, and everyone laughed. "But seriously, new beginnings for all of us, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the world. We'll still be in touch with our friends and acquaintances, and Konoha is still a hell of a small town for that. Just live today and for the future; that's all I have to say."

"Here, here, Shikamaru!" Lee shouted, raising his can, and this made Hinata blush a little when she joined, Gaara calmly mimicking her.

Sakura was still here with him and Naru when she turned her attention back to them, clearing her throat and making him roll his eyes. _What the hell do you want now?_

"Sasuke, when I finish medical school and come back, can we at least...start over...as friends?"

~o~

Sakura came back; she had the nerve, didn't she? And on THEIR graduation day!

Naru was so close to forming a fist and breaking that pretty little jaw, but then she said she had a new man who happened to go here at Konoha, and this was the first Naru and Sasuke had heard of it. Different hours and times were the reasons they never knew he'd been among them all this time. And as for him and Sakura - they'd met when his class went to compete in Kyoto, where she was still going to medical school.

Her spine had the tingles, which was never a good sign, though Sasuke seemed to take her word for it. She could have come back four years ago after that Christmas time, but she hadn't. It should mean something.

She found herself now at the Hiashi family's museum of art and antiquities. It was a pure masterpiece with Renaissance inspiration in the interior architecture. She felt like art herself when she put herself on for show before the audience with her masterpiece hidden behind a cloth which was sapphire velvet like her lace-trimmed jacket and tank, which were paired with black leggings embellished with fiery roses.

Sasuke was still at the university; Kakashi was going to retire before summer was over, and that meant his student-assistant would take over because of his promise. Her boyfriend really earned it.

Gaara was going to be at the law firm, Namikaze and Sarutobi. One of the biggest guns ever; he had his work cut out for him, but he was proving his father wrong this way.

Hinata - she showed off her skills with her first designer dress: a classic mermaid fit-and-flare in white tulle, strapless, and covered all over with black floral motifs. It would be optional with or without the black feathered shawl for the shoulders. It was just an edgy but elegant piece of art, and Hinata had every reason to be proud of it.

Now, that left Naru herself. When she met Hiashi Hyuuga when year one ended, she was prepped and protecting herself with a shield of worry, but he turned out to just be warm and welcoming because she was his daughter's friend, and he was amazed by her taste in aesthetics as well as what she could make with her hands. He offered her the spot she was at now, since learning and gaining experience was over with. Her heart began to pick up the pace when he announced to the visitors and rest of the staff that she had a new introduction and was "a breath of fresh air".

Lo and behold when Hiashi showed it to all those people, and the appraisal was the world to Naru Uzumaki: it was a woman whom she named the "Peach Fairy", with the clusters of white flora across her naked body starting from the hips - just like the seeds planted in the ground and eventually growing - and going up to her chest, covering up the breasts but leaving everything else exposed. More of the flowers fell from the waist downward to over the skirt, like blossoms from trees. The skirt itself was shimmering peach. The headdress was a golden crown placed with peach roses, dripping with sculpted quartz, and blending well with her sunlit hair.

She'd been with them well into the summer that followed, even by now when the Tanabata festival rolled around - _the festival of the star-crossed lovers. _

And by that time, she was stricken with a surprise that took her to the highest point in the clouds.

~o~

This celebration originated from the Qixi Festival in China, especially sharing similar stories of lovers who ended up together only to be separated and rarely come back together.

_This started in the Heian Period, adopted from China itself. It became popular in the Edo Period, for sure, ending up mixed with Obon - the festival of our ancestors - before they were separated. Prayers are made for a better harvest, for better weather and improvements on life..._

_...and I know what I'm going to wish for differently, this year, since it's been long enough._

Sasuke's nerves were on fire, both from the summer heat and the thrills. Due to being in a navy blue t-shirt, his arms were exposed so you could see the gooseflesh. He had the orange paper in hand, ready to write - _orange for her _\- and was joined by Gaara who also had his brother and sister visiting the festival square with him.

And it seemed that Temari Sabaku and Shikamaru Nara had a thing going on, by the looks of it.

Also, based on Gaara's sister being in that white _yukata _covered with black balls - just like she was named for - the other girls were also in these casual robes. Men were in ordinary clothes, like Gaara and himself. Gaara, his friend and college roommate, in a maroon t-shirt and dark jeans like Sasuke.

"You and Hinata?" Sasuke asked him as they were heading for the food stand together. He could go for those vegetable dumplings, while the girls were off doing what girls did best, and they would meet up at a certain time - in an hour and thirteen minutes more from now - by the bamboo trees where people's wishes would be hung. _Then by midnight, they will all be sent across the river while others will be burned at midnight when the festival ends. Similarly to when paper and candles are sent afloat on rivers during Obon, helping the spirits return to the other world. _

"Doing just well. But, if not right now, I intend to ask her to marry me in the near future, once things are a bit more stable," Gaara answered when he got them both sweet alcoholic beverages in cans, since this was an important day, but they had to also be on their best behavior. "I love Naru because she's my best friend and was the one to help me to the way I am today, but with Hinata...it's different. I can't explain it."

They'd been as they were since college days, just like him and Naru, and even though they barely settled into their new adult lives, both young men were contemplating marriage. And today was what he planned on, especially tonight when the moon was full...

And speaking of which, there the girls were when they arrived at the site of the bamboo trees, the late afternoon starting to cool down if not by enough. Hinata was pure as the snow in silvery gray blossoming with white multiseasonal flowers as well as gray-green bamboo - but there Sasuke's woman was, who was in pure white splashed with a vivid color that was still all hers: orange clouds, carts in red and black, finished with various colored trees.

Both of them were hanging up their wishes on the tree, and with them was none other than Sakura in pale green decorated with jewel-toned butterflies. Part of him thought she was ever fresh as spring...before he shut that off entirely. They'd patched things up, but he refused to let any HINT of betrayal rise to the surface on both their parts.

_And tonight, when the moon is at its highest...it's me and Naru. _

Tonight was when they finally took their longtime relationship to the next level - when they both snuck into her grandparents' house together, while Jiraiya and Tsunade were away to have a romp of their own. The last thing he wanted to envision was an elder pair the way he and his girlfriend were.

After so much to do earlier that day, he just hoped his wish would come true, but maybe after this, his courage would give him motivation to ask her. "Where do you want to take it?" Sasuke asked her, throwing the switch by the door to give them light in the hallway. She walked over first and sat on the platform. He followed, after locking the door - Tsunade and Jiraiya had a key, so no worry - and mimicked the action of taking off the shoes before they went into the house...

...and straight to her room. The moon beamed through the window with more than enough light that electricity wasn't necessary.

He turned his back to her, setting about getting undressed. He heard the rustle behind him, the growing anticipation causing his erogenous areas to get sensitive. He momentarily distracted himself with remembering the day they were together when he and his father went to pick up Itachi who was with the other soldiers coming home from Ame - but there were those who weren't so lucky and would never see their families again.

_Aniki _approved of Naru from the moment he met her. Wasted no time in accepting her as part of the family, but despite his words, there was a dimness in Itachi's eyes, making Sasuke recall some of the things his brother was allowed to say in his responses, and the limited information was just so brutal that he could imagine what his elder sibling was going through. He really needed help more than ever now that he was home, before he could even think to join the police force.

In the present, Itachi was a respected member and rising in the ranks, although his methods sometimes pushed extremes with some cases that it seemed he was meant to be elsewhere.

Now Sasuke was naked, save for his navy briefs, but she'd seen him before, so they were gone with the rest of his clothes and folded neatly on the armrest by the door. He turned around then, and when he did, he was surprised at what Naru had been wearing beneath her casual kimono: a bralette embroidered with delicate florals, her nipples straining against the fabric, but the great surprise was that she wore _absolutely no underwear. _Her pubic hair was a neat V-shape between thin ivory columns. What words could you think of for that?

He made way for her in three strides, taking her gently by the forearms, immediately overcome with the strongest love you could imagine. Their mouths were not strangers to each other, but tonight made the fire burn so bright it needed water to quench the thirst. Sasuke reached behind her back to rid her of the flimsy but supporting fabric, throwing it down to the floor, her pert breasts bouncing before his eyes as well as some locks of golden hair coming to rest above them. He pushed that sweet hair away before pressing chaste kisses over them and then suckling the buds which hardened like flowers ready to bloom.

Just before they could even make it to the bed, while the painful aching in his loins pressured with impatience, he rasped it out without fear of destroying the beautiful moment between two people. He looked up at her, kneeling down and looking up at her, kissing the area between her navel and womanhood. She moaned and sighed a little.

"Naru...I want you to be the mother of my children."

~o~

Near the end of April was perfect timing when the wisteria blossomed with all its mysticism. They had a sweet aroma unlike cherry blossoms; this day could have been planned while the latter flora were in season, but it was clichéd and expected. Therefore, today was perfect because of this flower's meaning, and at a widely popular spot in Japan's city of Kyushu.

_It's for youth and life, an expression of affections towards someone you love - which leads to something serious - as well as a symbol for good luck and birthdays in this season, even when a new baby comes along. _All the more reason she was glad it was later in the month instead of the expected late March.

Everything done, now she had the final touch. It was a brand new version of her mother's favorite perfume that she always let Naru wear, before she died. All this time, she'd made it last - until last year. She hadn't been able to find a new bottle or a refill, given the bottle itself was something that Tsunade had picked by her hands, and Naru's wedding day was supposed to require having her mother with her in spirit, as she would Sasuke's mother whom she'd never know.

Thank the gods Grandpa Jiraiya found something to not entirely replace, but make up for it.

Originally, Kushina's had just the green tea and earthy tones joined with citrus and different flowers, but now was an upgrade since the old line had been discontinued: it was juicier with peaches and roses paired with the tea and earth. And it was all within a bottle made up of layered green and white crystals, in the form of the lotus blossom, and topped with clear glass in the shape of a brilliantly cut diamond.

Naru gave herself a light spritz, the smell sweet and intoxicating like an aphrodisiac. If Sasuke loved the old one, this one would make him want to pick her up and take her from the party early, which excited her to no end.

What they were going to do on their honeymoon up in Hokkaido, which was a gift from her new father-in-law Fugaku: the best sake, the best food, the best entertainment, and some baby-making. She looked forward to becoming a mom, just as much as Sasuke wanted to be a father.

Hinata really outdid herself right here, and she was just in tears through and through as she couldn't get enough of looking at the bride in her first dress of the day: a really big ballgown of luxurious satin with a pleated neckline accentuating the breast curves, and the waistline as well as the long sleeves were accented with exquisite lace and beading. _I'm only getting married once, so I might as well look and feel like a princess. _

And of course she lifted up the big skirt to show the shoes off, which was rather unconventional but befitting for herself, and she was wearing these to the reception. They were comfortable, glittering slip-ons without the need for shoelaces. They were something that Naru handpicked herself. She hated heels, no matter how attractive and feminine they were.

The hairstylist worked her magic, creating an ethereal braided look for Naru: natural waves pulled out of her face and into a messy fishtail braid with some loose, romantic locks, in a way serving as a veil. At the crown of her forehead was a striking bandeau tiara which was a round crystal surrounded by smaller ones in the shape of a rose, countless more going all the way around. To finish the look were delicate diamond halo studs in her ears and around her neck a dazzling river of many sized rounds going from the smallest on either side to the single largest at the center.

The tiara, earrings and necklace had been Mikoto Uchiha's. And joined with the blue diamond which her husband won at an auction for her, Sasuke then giving it to the woman of his dreams.

"That's my little princess...I never thought I'd still be alive to see this." Tsunade wiped her eyes with the handkerchief she brought with her, the very same one she'd had on her when she wiped Jiraiya's tears and her own on their wedding day, and it would have been Kushina's turn had she'd been here.

_Now I get to use it. _

Bridal party had Tsunade, and also Hinata and Gaara, the latter being the only guy in the group. Sasuke would have his big brother as well as Kakashi Hatake, his former college professor and mentor, now a friend.

And Iruka Umino - Naru chose him personally to _marry them_.

This was going to be the best day ever. Lots of little things like where went where, what happened to whatever that was - such as where the hell her mother-in-law's tiara and jewelry had been, when no one could find them at first - were let go of, because mistakes like that happened all the time. She never thought she'd be one of those brides who wanted everything perfect, because brides today got crazy as hell. Even more than she'd been as a little girl.

Hinata looked lovely in the dress she also designed herself with Naru's recommendations, and it was white alight with red, orange and light blue flowers along with emerald green leaves and vines. Her hair was similar to Naru's, but a bit simpler, being an elegant ponytail with subtle waves and shine.

"You look like...one hell of a woman," Gaara, in a black suit and tie again along with a maroon collared shirt, noted with both arms across his chest and a serene smile. "I need to ask a certain someone to marry me after we get you down that wisteria aisle to him." He winked at Hinata who giggled behind her hand. They were still so cute together.

"Oh, hell yeah!" Jiraiya's voice entered the hotel room. "We got two cute couples in one day, but we gotta hurry and get going if we want to be on time. And that's my gorgeous girl right there!" He laughed and walked into the room, gathering both of her hands into his and pecking a kiss on the forehead before turning to bend down and give the attention to his wife in her wheelchair, kissing her - _she's been so sick lately, and the doctor says not long, in months' time _\- which left Naru to give the attention to her maid and man of honor. She fastened a boutonnière on the left side of Gaara's jacket before giving Hinata her bouquet, both of which were made up of blue forget-me-nots, white sweet peas and lily-of-the-valley, and as for herself, Naru had those flowers along with red roses and orange osmanthus. Nothing but sweet and bold together, with all the best meanings there were.

_Blue forget-me-nots for true love. Sweet peas usually mean goodbye and blissful pleasure in the western language of flowers, but ours doesn't apply anymore. Also: lily-of-the-valley for sweetness, red roses for romance, and orange osmanthus for truth and nobility. _

All of them needed to hurry if they were to catch the bus - one of many, like their guests or their own cars being taken - and as soon as they were on, Tsunade in a beautifully draping, teal blouson dress handed her something which she expected but had stopped thinking about.

Her left hand held out the handkerchief, and the third finger on that hand was absent of a certain something which had been an important milestone much of her life.

Because her grandmother didn't have long to live, maybe until summer coming up, she gave her granddaughter her wedding ring so that she'd always be with her in the crazy road ahead.

**Naru's first painting for the museum, as part of her gallery, was inspired by the Peach Petal Gown by Firefly-Path on deviantart. The headpiece is the Lotus Headpiece. **

**Japan's food menu is mouthwatering. :P The fact about the bonito being a spring catch for the country is true. There's the yellowtail snapper for summer, squid and saury for autumn, and crab and shrimp for winter. Mentioned in a past fic I did, "Merman's Quest".**

**Tanabata is a Japanese festival which takes place either n July or August, the dates varying time to time. I've known of this event for years, just learning the Qixi Festival (based off a similar legend of star-crossed love in China) was the stem of this. **

**Sweet pea fun fact: **_**Suitopi **_**is native to Italy and arrived in Japan during the 1900s. In Japanese, it means goodbye - and in general, along with "blissful pleasure" in the Western language of flowers - but no longer has this meaning in the present. Rather, it's simply used as decoration in flower bouquets. Which is all the more good enough for me. ;D**

**Naru and Sasuke's wedding takes place at the Kawachi Fuji Gardens, in the northernmost city of Kyushu, which is a real garden in Japan and infamous for its vast wisteria flora. :3 I'm in such happy tears that this chapter REALLY needs reviews now (and more details, PLEASE!). **


	6. Flower Banquet, Landscape Painting

**A tad late here, but three days ago was Sakura's birthday. Chapter was just a bit intricate, besides working on the final chapter for "Sleeping Weasel" (which will go up sometime this week) and putting up the first of "The Sun-Kissed Bride" (NaruHina, if anyone is interested). **

**Happy b-day for our lovely pinkette and ex-avenger's daughter Sarada. :3**

**Oh yeah, and chapter also combines two pieces, "The Flower Banquet" and "Landscapes Like a Painting". **

Chapter Six

Flower Banquet, Landscape Painting

_We used to come here when we were children. It was Mom's favorite place out of anywhere else, next to the cherry trees at home. _

Late April blossomed with these trees and flowers, the air sweet with their perfume, and the colors a bountiful banquet in violet-blue, white, as well as purple-red and yellow - all of which curtained the tunnel they formed in a canopy like a painting. These tunnels were roughly a hundred meters long, and led out to the other end towards a forest of large trees dripping with these flowers, beyond being a hill descending downwards with a grand garden that also had bamboo groves.

The ceremony spot was set near the edge of this hilltop, overlooking the valley of wisteria and bamboo, the trees serving as a natural joining rooftop.

By the time the day ended? It was party time amid that forest nearby, surrounded by the canopies of violet-blue and rich shades of pink.

"Just like I remember," Itachi said as they approached the tunnel which would lead them to their destination, where all the other guests had been waiting - some had taken their own cars up for the trip, others by bus - and were excited to be in a well-loved spot for this auspicious day. Sasuke's nerves thrummed with excitement. He'd waited long enough to get married and would NOT wait another minute even if a small glitch took place.

"Oh, _otouto, _that reminds me: you got the rings ready?"

Right in his jacket pocket. Sentimental as always, there was something that would be on her finger for the rest of their lives. Tsunade was dying of liver cancer, despite having given up her alcoholism a long time ago, but it eventually caught up to her despite the care she'd received. The doctors said she might not make it until summer, so it had been a blessing she was still breathing in time to see her granddaughter marry the man she loved.

Sasuke found himself reaching into that pocket to pull the rings out, both being made of pure gold; his was smooth and simple, while hers was the same and boasting five moissanites blinding like fire in the light, the stones asscher-cut like the stairs of heaven.

"That's my boy right there, but please put them back before you drop them by accident." Fugaku's tone was joking when he made himself known, then got between them and wrapped an arm around each shoulder, and whereas it had been years since he did that to them both since Mikoto's death, it had been revived right after Naru Uzumaki walked into their lives.

And now Kakashi was here. His brother and college mentor-turned-friend were with him at his side, and all three of them along with his father headed down the tunnel of majestic flowers to be in front of their guests who would witness, and they all would wait for the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with.

~o~

The second Iruka told the new husband and wife to kiss, it was like fairy dust had been cast over them both.

_EEEEE, I'm Mrs. Sasuke Uchiha now! I'm so damned happy I'm gonna cry and ruin my makeup._

Speaking of makeup, she was elsewhere in the garden, being in a private spot so that she could slip into the second dress made by Hinata, which was more fun and playful since this was a party to celebrate with friends and family. They were inside a greenhouse which had more plant life than what was out there, and curtains were drawn, Sasuke being outside and patiently waiting with the others. They had to hurry so that they didn't miss out on the party which would begin.

She was also in sleek satin like before, but with thin spaghetti straps, a neckline of sweetheart cups - and that meant a lot more cleavage than intended, but still supported - and a fluttering skirt which stopped above the ankles to show the same glittering slip-ons. Hemming the skirt was a unique illusion cutout in three sections. The tiara was removed, but her hair was kept in the messy braid, and not only that and Mikoto's earrings and necklace, but the bracelet she finally got to show off which was also her mother-in-law's: a slender wrap of rectangular jewels around a large square shape.

When she fastened that around her wrist, there she saw her grandma's wedding ring, which had been downsized by two to snug around her digit. Her eyes burned, and she fought to not let her tears streak her cheeks. Naru had to blink and clear her throat, assuring a concerned Hinata that she was okay.

But just as the door had been knocked on and it was time to join the guests in the clearing, it turned out that she had a surprise in store - and Gaara's face was taut as he held it up between his thumb and forefinger for her.

"What...is that?" Hinata asked quietly before the new bride could. She took it from him, clearly not wanting to worry Naru - who was already doing just that, mostly because the unknown could sometimes be scarier - since she didn't deserve that on the biggest day of her life.

The envelope hadn't been sealed for some reason, but it did have HER name written...correction, it was cut out from magazines in the letters, and that was never a good sign. Suddenly, Naru couldn't take it anymore. "Guys, just tell me what it says."

Hinata swallowed, nodding before forcing herself to read it out loud. By this time, the silhouettes of Sasuke, Itachi as well as Kakashi poked their heads around to listen.

"'You think you are something else, but you think you're good enough for an Uchiha - well, think again.'" Hinata miraculously didn't stutter, but it was unnerving nevertheless.

Gaara gave no reaction, while Kakashi and Itachi's eyes widened as they both made noises of dismay, and Sasuke's irises narrowed as he walked right on into the area, snatching the letter from Hinata.

Naru felt like she was having an out-of-body experience. Who would write something so hurtful, and why the hell would they do it now on her wedding day?! _Is it one of the guests? It doesn't make sense; they are all friends and colleagues, and they made it clear that we are maybe the best couple out of all of them! So who would...?_

"Give that to me," Itachi announced, going right in and carefully taking the letter from his brother's fingers, folding it and putting it right into his pocket. _Might as well ruin any chances of fingerprints if it's gonna end up being criminal. But this person maybe just wanted to..._

Naru stopped thinking right then and there. No way and hell this could be Sakura's doing. She was out of town due to a conference call, wouldn't be back until next week, and there was no return address anywhere or even a hint as to this writer's identity. She had to just pray it was a prank and nothing more, just a jealous nobody with nothing to do with their lives...

"Yeah, we're not gonna let this ruin our day," Sasuke agreed, the scowl disappearing and leaving behind a warm smile when he glanced her way. His eyes said the message silently: _you look beautiful. _And he couldn't take his eyes off her now, just like before.

That was enough to make Naru put aside her worries for the time being. No stranger was going to put a wreck on something they'd waited for. Whoever it was would get theirs in no time.

Her grandparents were still waiting outside, and they were alight with adoration at the sight of her in her new dress, as well as her and Sasuke together, arm in arm. Hinata and Gaara then went ahead, followed by Kakashi and Itachi, ending with Jiraiya and Tsunade - just her in the wheelchair was sad in itself, but despite that, it showed how much he was still in love with her after all these years - and then the bride and groom themselves when they rejoined the party.

It had been an intimate affair, including these people: Hiashi and Hanabi Hyuuga. Shikamaru Nara, Temari Sabaku - and of course, Kankuro and their father even though the man still hadn't made amends with his own youngest son - as well as all their friends from college. Except Sakura, as previously mentioned, was unable to make it due to a medical conference up in Tokyo and therefore had been in no position to reschedule if she wanted to. Though, she did accept a copy of the home video that would be made on disc as a favor to make up for it.

Also, aside from all the tables beneath the trees and the scenery itself making for a picturesque backdrop, there was the awesome buffet prepared - the heavenly aromas! - and the single but large tiered cake was suspended on a stake stabbed into the ground, between the two long tables of food. _White and covered with sugared wisteria like the ones around us, all hanging downwards like the real ones - and defying the laws of gravity._

There were a few new people she got to meet and who were pleased to have been invited, since they were close to those dearest to her. One example was Gaara's boss at the firm, Minato Namikaze. He'd been in Konoha for maybe four years now, partnered with college roommate Asuma Sarutobi, and he had heard so much of her through Gaara.

But when she looked upon his face, something caused her spinal nerves to tingle. His hair was blond, in shockwaves, and his eyes were the brightest blue ever - _just like me_. He was clearly middle-aged, but didn't look like it except for the lines outside his eyes. She would have actually mistaken him to be between thirty and forty, or hitting the line.

Surprisingly, he told her that she was more than welcome to ask for his aid if she ended up in any kind of trouble, saying he specialized in a lot of fields, but his major was criminal law, and that got her thinking about the mysterious note. She chose to wait until the fun stuff was over, when reality would hit her ass again.

She also got to witness a surprise, when her grandparents arrived, and when they saw him, Tsunade's face was a tight scowl while Jiraiya slapped him on the back and said it was a hell of a long time since he'd seen him. _They knew him, but how the hell did they never mention him? Something's fishy..._

"Grandma, how do you know him?" But the old woman shook her head and waved her hand - that hand devoid of her ring for the rest of her life.

"Never mind that. Just go and enjoy your day, save the questions for another time."

That definitely made her suspicious all the more, and when she ended up dancing in the arms of her husband again, he agreed. Better confront that man after they were done enjoying everything.

After that, while still in a new and more fun white dress - short and sleeveless with fringes at the end of the skirt - she and Sasuke were off and taking a plane for Hokkaido, at one of the best inns there was. They were in for close to two weeks of wondrous adventures, including hot springs as well as one of their own in their room, fields of springtime flora, and cherry blossom trees with the flowers themselves done with their time until next year. _It's also a portrait with snow and ice sculptures, while there are great breezes during the hottest summers. _Just like Kyoto, it was perfect for the best of everything especially for tourists.

Two weeks in the best room they had been given, and Fugaku had told them this place was where he and Mikoto had spent their honeymoon and a few of their anniversaries before her death, though not this exact room Naru and Sasuke were in. They were surrounded by refined rustic luxury in the form of muted wood tones, from the entrance to the guest rooms. They got a view of the window from where they'd sleep, their own bar, and a pristine fountain centered with exquisite vases and in front of an opened view towards the ocean shoreline.

Best food were seafood from the port along with the _kaiseki _\- the selection of various dishes.

Heaven on earth was it all, and besides canoeing on the nearby lake, they hiked amongst nature's beauty...but most of the time, they went about various different positions for baby-making. Each time just got better and better; that first time in her own bedroom, in her grandparents' house, had left her with a throbbing pain which became sweeter by the second time, and thank the gods that a condom had been used, too.

This time changed altogether, since they were married now and also had stable jobs after close to a year of getting out of college.

When she and Sasuke returned home, it was liberation in the heart at its finest from their time in Hokkaido. And neither of them were going to head back to work until two more days, since their return home, and this was a good time for them to join Gaara for lunch.

It was also then that they ended up running into his boss, Minato Namikaze, whom they saw for the second time since the wedding. He was smiling, but it didn't seem to reach his eyes, and that was enough for Naru to swallow. It had to be when she and her new husband had just gotten home. She just met this man, and whatever it was, it would feel like it was happening so soon.

Turned out to be just that, and it was as if her world had begun to spin in a brand new direction. She would have fallen off her feet if Sasuke and Gaara had not been there.

"I know this is sudden, Naru, but this has been...discussed with your grandparents since you were gone. I was wondering if we could take it with them perhaps at another time of your choosing. You have a lot of questions; I can see it in your eyes. I did know Jiraiya and Tsunade a long time ago, as well as...your mom. Before you were born, we were in love, but we were forced apart by my parents."

~o~

Who would have thought that _this _of all things would greet him and his new bride as soon as they returned home from paradise?

Who would have thought that Minato Namikaze would learn of her simply because of his best young employee?

He and Naru showed up at her grandparents' house - they lived namely at his family estate, and she lit the place up as well as made it a real home again - and there Namikaze was. He was very warm and friendly, but when he saw Naru again, his expression was schooled into calm collection. While he was happy to see her as well as Sasuke, they were in for a serious surprise. Especially with what he told her in his office, with Sasuke and Gaara present.

He said that he'd been in love with her late mother a long time ago, before SHE was born, so before today, the newlyweds were talking about it at home to each other along with his dad and brother who had speculations of their own.

"I hadn't seen him in a long time. Minato and I were classmates in high school - friendly competition, if you must," Fugaku stated, scratching his forehead in thought, brows knitting together at memories he was having. "Nothing bad anyone had to say about him, which sometimes made me jealous and different from him in that respect. And was valedictorian when we graduated; I myself made it to one of the top honors, was going into the police academy. He came from a family of lawyers, so it didn't surprise me when I heard he and Kushina Uzumaki ended their relationship right after the masquerade during the summer. Might have been his parents, for all I knew."

Itachi's face had been taut. "Never once met him, but he was said to be a prodigy, just like...myself." He hesitated on giving himself credit, but it made everyone chuckle, because it was true. "I never heard anything else, though. Not even about him and your mother, Naru." This made him scowl since some information seemed to evade him at times, and all he knew was that Kushina had raised a daughter alone along with her parents, but the identity of the father was unknown...

...and now the information began to somehow come together before today, at Tsunade and Jiraiya's house. And other than their grim, knowing faces, their granddaughter stated it plainly and simply.

"...you're my father."

No nod or shake of the head, not even a smile - except a bow of the head forward and brief closing of the eyes. That was enough for Naru to jolt forward and raise her palm to waste no time in slapping him across the face. That caused his face to turn in the other direction, and he wound up receiving a scolding look from the parents of the woman he'd loved a long time ago, but there was no hatred in their eyes. Just plain disappointment.

Sasuke bit back a laugh of his own, because it was hilarious in itself. _Can't say you deserve it, but damn, Naru, you got every right to let it out when you know it's not his fault. And besides, we have yet to hear his side. _

"Why...why did you never come back to Mom and me?!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. "You have any idea how it affected her to the point where she couldn't even TALK about you, despite doing the best she could? She said that you loved her, but your damned rich and entitled parents kept you guys apart right after they found out about your one-night stand and then that was it!" That made him visibly flinch. "Just when I thought you would never find out that I even existed - and now that she is gone and Grandma has only a few months left to live - you had to find out through Gaara and think that I'll take this easily after doing just fine without you!"

By this time, she broke down, and Sasuke caught her in his arms, where she began to cry into his shoulder. He exhaled sharply. He expected her to not take this easy; no one who ever just found out their true parentage took this lightly. Knowing her, she'd need some time, but sooner than months since there were nothing but good terms.

Minato also still had to share his end, so he cleared his throat when it was obvious she was done. He sighed sadly and kept his eyes glued on her, avoiding the looks of the ones who used to love him like a son.

"I knew you'd feel this way, Naru, but I suppose it's little consolation if I try to apologize now. I should have expected that Kushina and I had a child while we were apart. I never stopped thinking about her even for a day. I suffered smiling and grinning, putting up appearances when I no longer respected my parents who cared about all of that rather than what was important." Now you could hear the anger, and Sasuke saw the brimming blue fire in his eyes. "Believe me when I said I loved that woman so much, but my parents threatened with blackmail if I thought to leave them for her."

**Article of source for SasuNaru's honeymoon: "Hokkaido Ryokan – 4 Beautiful Japanese Traditional Inns You Should Try". The main place of inspiration is number one, Wakamatsu Hot Spring Resort. **

**At long last did Naru meet the father she never knew, and he didn't stay away by choice. And kinda similar to canon when her male counterpart bursts because of Minato's decision to seal Kurama inside when there was no other choice. Let's just see how things will go for father and daughter in the future...especially since the stalking has now begun. How do ya'll think sent that letter to Naru on her wedding day of all times? (evil wink) **

**Lovely reviews please, but PLEASE GIVE MORE DETAILS. :3 (puppy dog pout)**


	7. Pomegranate

**"Sleeping Weasel" has just been completed, and a brand new fic called "The Sun-Kissed Bride" already has four chapters up, so hope this new one was worth the wait as usual. :)**

Chapter Seven

Pomegranate

_He's my father, and he's showing up just now, right after I get married and that damned letter!_

Why the hell did he have to show up after all these years, just to say he was sorry when he could have had the balls to go against his parents? Except Naru knew: he could have confused her even when she was a child and made it harder for her to accept. It was difficult to decide which one was worse.

But...he was also saying he and Mom were _blackmailed, _which would have ruined Kushina's life. Now she was considering calming the hell down, just taking a few breaths and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I'd known Kushina since high school, and she must have told you a long time ago, but her beautiful red hair was the result of being bullied," Minato told her, mouth twitching as he almost laughed before he sobered up. "She was very sweet when she wanted to be, but when someone said the wrong thing, she'd end up being sent to disciplinary. Then when she saw me, and especially when I tried to talk to her, be her friend, she'd scream at me that I was just a bystander pretending to care...but she changed her mind when I took the blow to the face for her when another bully tried to get her, and he got what he deserved. That started our friendship."

That part brought small smiles to Jiraiya and Tsunade's faces, especially when they mentioned their daughter bringing this to their attention, and they wanted to meet Minato who eventually became like a son to them, continuing on for the next three years...

...but there was the issue of Minato's parents.

"It was during the summer after graduation, and for all I cared, my mother and father could both go to hell," he said with a light chuckle and running his hand through his hair. "We intended to get serious as we went into the first stage of our adult lives, and this masquerade that summer was one of those steps. I still remember what she wore as though it were yesterday, and it complemented her so well that she could have been a forest goddess." His eyes were shining. "Outside red as her hair, bust being her favorite dark green -" Minato paused and gulped as he shared a nervous look at Jiraiya who narrowed his darkened eyes, while Tsunade held up a frail-looking fist in response. Clearing his throat, he continued.

"- and the rest was pale blue, all separated by branch-like silver and set with icy green gems. Could never take my eyes off her even as we danced. Nothing in the world except us and what we always had. There was nothing to take that away from us...except my parents."

Naru felt like her throat was dried, and she turned to her husband, unable to speak. She couldn't bring it in herself to even ask her father what they did, so Sasuke got the hint. "Just what did they do?"

Minato shook his head. "You kids must know how high school is when you participate in underage drinking - though I'm sure you both were raised better than that - but Kushina and I ended up doing that without getting into any kind of trouble. It also sort of resulted in one thing leading to another, and next thing we both knew, we were heading back to the room I rented at the inn, and that's what happened...and the last time we were together, just as it was our first time."

To even hear about the night she was conceived - via underage drinking as well as doing it in a rented inn room - made Naru's throat get tighter and the tears come. Not only hearing that she had come unplanned but ended up loved anyway... "I wasn't intended to be born."

"No, no!" Minato said quickly. "It wasn't like that. I mean, we talked about getting married and having kids, no matter if things were stable or hard; what we had was rare and much better than all of that, even in those damned movies with drama between husband and wife as well as whole families. Even your grandparents would have supported our choices. But then my mother and father had to come in and use the final nail to the coffin they made for us." His face contorted then. "I was asked to have lunch with them one day in a public restaurant - one we always went to my entire life - under false pretenses. Mother, with her wicked smile I'll never forget, showed me the footage that was given to her on camera and intended on butchering your mom's future if I didn't leave her. And she certainly _would_. Even Father was willing to go along with it." Now his eyes were glazed like Naru was sure hers was, and simultaneously, the flood was released on both their parts.

"...you could have followed your heart, but you chose to abide by your dictating parents. You could have run away, but you abandoned Mom before finding out she was pregnant," Naru stated hoarsely.

His voice rose, but he didn't shout with anger towards her. "You think I didn't know that? Naru, not a day goes by that I don't regret loving your mother above my parents! Every night for as long as I can remember, I stayed up and always wondered what could have been - and if I did run away, Kushina's life would have been ruined. I really wanted what was best for her. After that, I went away to Tokyo, attended university there, and that's when I met Asuma Sarutobi, my friend and colleague, and we started our firm together. We had to come back, four years ago, because I'd had enough as it was. We did so well we could move it anytime, but we had to find an opportunity without being rash, and it came in the form of one retail place going out of business, of all things. I could have contacted Jiraiya and Tsunade first, but I was worried about the worst, which was that they'd hate me for hurting their daughter. I decided to risk dropping in as a surprise, and even if I weren't welcomed back with opened arms, I'd fight as long as it took while keeping distance.

"I could have returned sooner, just after my folks passed away...but I heard about your mom. I didn't know we had a daughter until I met your friend, Gaara."

All of this had gotten to be too much for her to bear. She needed to get away from him. "Sasuke, we got to go," she grunted, swallowing more tears and turning her back to her father whom she had met for the first time, but then Grandma halted them both, coughing into her sleeve.

"No, Naru, you and Sasuke stay. Minato, I think it's time for you to go. As much as I want to see you again before I die, today is not the day."

He gulped and nodded, no longer making eye contact with anyone, especially _her_. "You're right, Tsunade. Sorry isn't going to make it feel better, but I promise to come by often. Naru, you can avoid me if you want to; just don't stop seeing your grandparents who raised you because of me."

_Oh, I sure as hell don't plan to. _

Naru held her man's hand as they both watched him go, closing the door behind him. Behind them, Jiraiya sighed sharply and shook his head. "So much for family reunions," he muttered, then yelped a little when there was the sound of a swat to his skin.

"Reunion doesn't apply when you just learn, after all these years, that you have a kid, when you were too much of a coward to come back sooner!" Tsunade snapped, on the verge of croaking in her throat. She was caught between sadness and anger, just like Naru was.

Sasuke kissed the top of her head when she buried her face into his shoulder.

~o~

If Naru avoiding the father she had just met was bad enough, then things had gotten worse.

Sasuke went to work that day, when the tulips in every color were ripe in early May along with the wisteria still present after his wedding, though nearing the end of their time. But the roses would last perhaps the entire time. Pink moss sprinkled across the grounds as well as rocky walls.

The previous night, Itachi gave him and his wife bad news: no fingerprints found on that letter or even its envelope, which meant nothing to indicate WHO wrote the damned thing. However, he did promise that he was there if this happened again, since there was no hint of anything extreme in the making - but his brother doubted that it would be the end of it. "Just a good hunch, that's all."

Fugaku had grunted at the dinner table, while Naru was getting everything ready, Itachi helping her even though he had a long day like Sasuke knew he did. She insisted he relax, but he still felt active and energetic. "If this goes farther, I don't see it being handled well by the police force. I've seen this happen before, if you boys remember."

He knew what his father was implying: this was an occurrence with potential stalking. It happened many times before, but long before the stalking laws had been in effect, Japan didn't take it as seriously. And it took one publicized death and an investigative journalist a few years ago to start what was supposed to now protect the population of women - mostly - from men who believed they _owned _them.

But...how the hell did that apply to this?

_I swear to God, this had better NOT be a stalker like what Dad implied. I don't want my wife to be subjected to anything like those dead victims endured. The police force is competent in other fields, except..._

Which was why he hoped Naru was right when she believed it could just be someone trying to simply screw around with them, was just jealous because she got a wonderful man, but it still begged who it was. And Itachi's idea of a suspect made Sasuke flinch.

"_Aniki,_ it couldn't have been Sakura. Did you check it out yourself?"

He nodded. "Indeed. She was in Tokyo as sworn; her alibi checked out. We questioned her thoroughly, as well as everyone after the wedding, and apparently, no one is a suspect." Itachi scowled then. "But I still don't feel right about this."

Fugaku snorted. "I wouldn't let this go, but perhaps it's best to just let it rest for the time being. Since there is no death threat hinted, just pure jealousy. I spent barely three decades in the force to keep my suspicions on these things. You just never know." A tight smile appeared on his face. "Good thing you all have me to be your backbone." Naru blushed as she sat down at that table.

Today, even while he gave the lecture to the class about the subject of _yokai_ \- such as the reptilian river beast, the Kappa, to be counted - he was lucky to have made it through with his sanity intact. He didn't think that he would make it without having theories of his own; he'd laid in bed that previous night with the thoughts swimming around in his head.

_Big brother says Sakura was a contender...but it doesn't make sense, for her to go to these lengths if she moved on, and I'd seen it myself. She reacted like any other brokenhearted girl when I broke up our relationship; she thought we belonged together even before I decided to give her the time of day..._

The female population in middle and high school ogled him like a piece of meat, including Sakura - but not the woman who was now his wife.

End of story: there was no way in hell his ex-girlfriend made that letter.

By the time he finally got his lunch break, he met up with a fellow professor, none other than Iruka Umino. Just the man he needed to speak to, the kind of guy you could go to involving anything.

"Sasuke, there you are! You still living off the newlywed high?" the man with the scar across his nose joked, nudging him with the elbow, making Sasuke laugh a little.

He and Naru definitely were living as though that first day of the rest of their lives was still happening. Nothing was fazing them, not even that note which would start to not exist. _My wife might be right, after all. No one can spoil our happiness. _

While they were in the cafeteria - Sasuke got himself the miso ramen, having adopted a love for it because of his new bride - he listened to Iruka on his newfound relationship with none other than Kakashi, and even though it made his cheeks red faster than too much sake, he was glad to listen to the adventures: the hot springs, the smut they read together and experimented together, as well as everything heterosexual couples would do. Just like him and Naru.

"And Sasuke, my advice if you want to hear it: if you want to add some spice to your marriage before any babies come..."

And what Iruka said made his eyeballs pop out from their sockets.

It might as well have to be under the cover of night, or someplace they could slip off to, and would have to be on Friday night, which was tomorrow. Then he and his wife could lock their bedroom door and have their privacy.

When Friday night came, he found himself in the shower that belonged to him and Naru: a glass stall where he had a view of the room itself, which was calming paradise, now that he appreciated it since he and his dad reconnected. There was a stoned wall around the marble tub - filled with small alcoves of battery-operated candles which dramatically illuminated - as well as a bamboo plant and some tropical ones, ending with a few framed photographs of waterfalls with bamboo forests, red and white camellias, and Edo period ladies amongst the cherry blossoms.

By the time his hair was washed out, he made every effort to use his exotic wood products to remove _every _ounce of hair once again - especially his pubic region like that time he stood before Iruka's class...

...and Naru was the one who paid the most attention out of everyone else.

Stepping out of the shower after turning it off, still naked but dried off, Sasuke found himself looking at his own reflection in the mirror, offering a full-length view of his body. He smirked at himself, knowing Naru could have a nosebleed from this alone. He intended to make it difficult for her to concentrate on his portrait alone.

Iruka's advice came in the form of the pomegranate bonsai tree that was a wedding gift from him and Kakashi, in their bedroom below the window.

The bonsai tree bore pomegranate fruit, though being a peachy hue instead of the lush raspberry red. And while not exactly grown originally on Japanese soil as well as Korea and China, the fruit was widely cultivated and therefore was used for planting like this. And across the west, the fruit represented fertility when a woman was trying to get pregnant, but it could also be simply savored as a treat.

When it was late enough, he slipped to the kitchen and came back with the bowl of pomegranate seeds that he took out of the fruit itself after coming home. He was in his plaid pajamas and dark t-shirt when he went back to their room, and there she was in her gray set with peach trimming and the pocket over her left breast...and that was enough to already get him stirring up, very slowly.

She was getting her equipment set up, looking up and smiling at him when he entered, closing the door and locking it behind him. Suppose that Dad or Itachi could knock, but imagine if they heard the noises, and that meant they would leave them be. He just hoped it would happen like that.

"Better close your eyes, babe," Sasuke told her, going right over to the bed, and she kept her head down instead, as her way of listening. Licking his lips, Sasuke hurried about in pulling his shirt over his head, and then shoved down his pants, his ass freed along with what he labored on just earlier.

He laid back across the bed covered with red and blue roses against a black background - her idea, compromising for them both even though it was still feminine - and picked up the bowl to set about layering the seeds, outlining as well as covering his pubis, then slowly laying down and putting the bowl down near the head where his pillow was. Sasuke had to put some back on as they began to fall out of place.

He wound up posing himself like the heroine of _Titanic_.

When his wife turned around, her face immediately turned red as her late mother's tomato-red hair, and you could have sworn you'd seen the steam coming off the surface.

"S-Sasuke, seeds - seriously?!" She had to swallow her laughter, cheeks puffing out as she tried not to let it out. It was offensive to laugh at someone else's nudity - especially when there were red fruit seeds in place of groin hair. He had gotten so comfortable with this that he sometimes forgot it made others flustered, like that time Hinata fainted in her seat.

"Yep, thought we'd do something different."

"It's working, but I don't think I'll be able to get to sleep after this!" she squeaked, scrambling around to get to work.

Each moment that passed, feeling like the entire night went by, she created a masterpiece that he got to see only after she did something which required him to remain in his pose: she crawled over and atop his body, kissed his lips and then all the way down until she reached his own work of art. She set about taking the seeds into her mouth, chewing and then swallowing them.

And when she was done, there were some red juices spotted across the V-shape where they'd been; she lapped that up, the sensations doing enough to make his erection stand up without her tongue directly touching that. Sasuke gritted his teeth, his throat thick.

_Damn her for leaving me with this, just to let me see her hands' result._

His length was good and hard when he sat up on his knees to take a look at the picture: his lean, contoured muscles from the hours at the gym with Gaara, his head cut out of the frame, and his manhood masterfully protruding from the bed of red fruit seeds acting as the hair he removed himself. Some of the juices had dried before Naru gobbled it all up, and it actually stimulated the nerves.

"I'll decide a name for this piece tomorrow," Naru said, pecking him on the cheek. "I hope Hiashi likes it - and Hinata is just going to want to avoid getting red and fainting again. Her and naked men." She laughed, getting up and taking it in hand carefully, intent on putting it into the closet until work day, and left Sasuke scowling and with a hard-on.

Just then, the screen window was broken in from the outside, making Naru shriek and nearly drop her pride and joy. Sasuke jumped up, quickly grabbing his sleep pants and yanking them on as he glared in the direction of the bedroom window ruined from the outside.

Someone had thrown in a rock - and taped to it was an envelope. Shit, all of this ended the pleasant feeling between his legs as well as the whole night.

But it also meant that the same person who left that obscene note at the wedding was HERE.

"Wake Itachi up, leave that thing and I'll go outside!" Sasuke shouted, rushing out of the room and heading for where his father kept the armory, beneath the staircase, selecting a .32 and bursting out the front door on his bare feet. He unlocked the safety and raised his voice, shouting to the invisible intruder and catching the sound of rustling.

"GET THE HELL OUT SO I CAN SEE YOU!"

The order was disobeyed, and then he caught sight of the human shape, but no one he could recognize. He fired a shot then and there; damn it, he must have missed it or the person was just that fast. Snarling, he hurried back into the house just as Fugaku bellowed about: "What the hell is going on out there?!"

"Dad," Itachi said, coming up with his rubber gloves on and cradling the rock with the taped envelope, "someone threw this through their window."

"Yeah, I thought about painting a picture of Sasuke before we went to sleep," Naru answered, making her father-in-law blush and Itachi chuckle. Fugaku did NOT want to know the details, not really knowing it already happened.

"Did you get him or her, Sasuke, or at least see their face?"

He shook his head. "No, Dad. They got away even though I tried to hit them without killing," Sasuke answered, pissed at himself for it. "Now what?" He gave the gun back to his father who clicked his tongue.

"Might as well do the one thing I feared. Means risking scorn, you both know."

Itachi's lip curled as he agreed. "Yeah, you two. I'm going to take this up for you both, to my friends who know how to deal with this, since the police force will just do what we believe, as it's happened to thousands every day."

Naru squeezed her eyes shut as she pondered the possibilities with them - especially when Itachi tore the envelope from the rock and opened it to read what was inside, despite being late, although Sasuke highly doubted no one would sleep well tonight after this.

~o~

"...this is so cruel and unforgiveable!" Hinata shouted when the four of them gathered that following Friday after work for a dinner they hadn't had in a while, at the barbeque place.

Her voice attracted a few heads in their direction, and she quickly cleared her throat and kept it down. _And I thought _I _was the one to be the loudest in the group. _"How could they take it so lightly that this can't be a -?"

"- stalker," Naru hissed for her. She agreed a hundred and ten percent. She was still living off from the fright and humiliation of that past weekend, when she and her husband had gone to the police headquarters the next day, Itachi leading the way...and the worst had happened.

Verdict since there was no evidence: likely punks who were pranking her, beginning at the wedding, and any suspects' alibis had checked out. But how could average punks she knew nothing about leave that horrid note which had gotten worse since the one at the wedding?

_"You're a thieving slut; you think what you have is LOVE? He might change his mind about you in due time. Happens all the time. Not like 'happily ever after' really exists in our culture or any other." How could they do that when Sasuke made it loud and clear that he loves me for who I am?_

She was never going to let go of the accusatory looks from a couple of the police officers when she was taken there, her husband's supporting hand holding hers, and no matter her brother-in-law being there. He'd warned her this would happen, and her naïve self had hoped otherwise.

But this wasn't the end of it, he promised her. He had friends in the private investigation business who could help stalking victims when the police couldn't. _I might as well trust them more than the cops, then. They do this against men who see women as property even today. But if things get more dangerous, then the fees will increase..._

Surprisingly enough, Itachi told them he was considering leaving the police force because of these reasons. It had gotten too personal for him at this point, especially when there was not even a smudge of a fingerprint to match the system.

Naru had been so nauseated by the time she and Sasuke left the precinct. She'd thrown up in the nearest public trash can she could find in an alleyway, and he'd stood in front of her so that no one could see what she was doing.

Gaara grimaced after taking a sip of tea. "Naru, if this gets out of hand and the one doing this is caught, I should be the one to represent you."

While she was happy he offered, Naru didn't even want to think about this right now. She was trying to keep living her life and do what she was supposed to do.

Hinata could see it and changed the subject, since they all gathered to have a little bit of fun, and it'd been a while since they did anything like this. She broke the ice by talking about her latest creation for her collection, which was a blend of Victorian as well as couture in one: the entire gown made of lace, with the bodice having off-shouldered sleeves and the billowing skirt in tiers - something unashamedly dramatic.

She also was going to do something that she got approval on, as part of her galleries: she intended to begin a jewelry collection, and the beginner was planned to be a perfect opal ring, the gem framed with brilliantly formed pale green, icy blue as well as champagne and gold gemstones - like a rainbow and meadow in springtime.

_Leave it up to Hinata to make us happy, which is usually my job. _

And it worked for a while; in the coming weeks, there was no trouble for the time being.

Just when summer was in middle ground and at its highest of temperatures, it was Sasuke's birthday, and she had the best present to give him which excited them as well as their friends and family to no end:

She was just a few weeks pregnant.

She and Sasuke might have conceived before the end of the previous month, so the baby would likely be born in March.

That new position they did might have really hit the spot: all the closest eye contact you could make to amplify the feels, along with her knees raised and her husband right between her legs, grinding firmly and tenderly against her sweetest flesh spots, rotating diagonally to the north and taking them to that far point of heaven. That, and Naru also liked to think that those pomegranate seeds she had helped do the trick, but she didn't really believe in that western fertility stuff. Although, it began to become a favorite pregnancy craving, and she started to put it in her ramen, as well.

The reactions of their friends: Hinata was on the verge of happy tears while Gaara could not stop smiling without being over-the-top.

Sakura and Lee were both overjoyed, along with everyone else they didn't see in person often but kept in touch via social media.

As for family, Itachi said that he was finally going to have a niece or nephew to spoil, whereas Fugaku had the brightest beam ever since his first grandchild was going to come into the picture.

Jiraiya burst out into uncontrollable laughter as he was ecstatic that he was still alive to see a brand new generation, but that begged how much longer - though all of them wished the same could be said for Tsunade, who despite her smile said that she was glad to know her granddaughter was finally having a baby.

It finally happened when Grandpa Jiraiya called them and said that things had taken a turn for the worst, and she'd been taken to the hospital. She didn't have much longer, according to the doctors, and that was when the family chose to stay by her bedside for as long as need be.

At the end of July, days after Sasuke's birthday and the announcement of the new baby, Tsunade passed away from pneumonia.

There was not one dry eye at the funeral, but how the hell could there be?

Naru clutched onto her still-flat stomach and leaned into her husband, her grandfather right behind her and audibly blowing his nose as well as dryly sobbing - Naru's throat was sore as she let the wet tears moisten her cheeks despite drying them with the handkerchief repeatedly - while around them, there were mostly somber faces.

There her grandmother's peaceful visage was, revealed as she was surrounded by white roses and lilies, and eventually cremated and placed into an urn of Tsunade's favorite shade of green embossed with white flowers - camellias, peonies and cherry blossoms.

Naru wasn't surprised to see Minato Namikaze, and just for the moment, she actually felt pity for him. Jiraiya was a little glad he was there. The man said nothing to her personally except that he was sorry for the loss, and wished he'd been there when she passed. His damned job prevented him, he said, and he had loved her as though she'd been his real mother. Just a small part of Naru forgave him just for that.

She was still crying when the services were over, and so was her grandpa. _He loved her so much, all those years...I don't know what he's going to do without her now. _

She and Sasuke were going back with Jiraiya, to stay with him for a few days. Not only did he really need someone, but they had to get away from the Uchiha house, because of the memory of their bedroom being terrorized that one time.

_What if another letter comes here, despite doing everything we could to protect ourselves? _

But thank the gods nothing happened that night, since they were all too tired to deal with anything else. She was glad Tsunade got to learn of the baby, but why did fate have to be so cruel in that she HAD to die?!

**While it's not native to China, Korea or Japan, the pomegranate is widely grown in those countries, widely used for bonsai because of its flowers and for the unusual twisted bark. Across Europe and America, the fruit itself was symbolized prosperity, the harvest and fertility when a woman was trying to get pregnant.**

**The position Naru and Sasuke did to conceive their first child is known as the Missionary, an underrated sexual position and one of the basics in the Kama Sutra. **

**"Thieving slut" is something Tiffany the doll said in the movie "Bride of Chucky". Might be commonly spoken in real life, but who knows. **

**It was heartbreaking to finally write Tsunade's death. I've done it before in a past fic, but still...it sometimes reminds me of when my grandfather passed a long time ago. **

**REVIEW! :'( **


	8. Koi's Whisk and Adorned Cages

**Things have just gotten all the more stressful, and that's what stalking and psychological torment can do to anyone - and how it impacts their relationships with their loved ones and friends even. :( **

**Titles combined: "Koi's Whisk" and "The Adorned Cage".**

Chapter Eight

Koi's Whisk and Adorned Cages

What do you do on the first night back in your childhood home, right after the funeral of your loved one?

Sasuke remembered how his mother's had gone: the white flowers, the cremation - Mikoto's urn was black and covered with pink peonies as well as red and white camellias, along with bright and colorful peacocks - and how emotionless yet stern Fugaku had been at the time, but he hadn't had an issue with his youngest son crying into his big brother's embrace, until after he tired of the knowledge of Sasuke going into Itachi's room after a nightmare.

This time was different, but when you were an adult, you would get hit so much harder with tragedy and would often be told by others to get help if you didn't get over your grief. _Who has the right to dictate how you think and feel after losing someone you loved?_

He'd been blessed with a birthday gift in the form of his and Naru's first child, but then Tsunade HAD to die after that time, even though they all knew it was coming.

She ate very little, even though the rule was that she needed to give herself nourishment not just for herself, but for the baby. To call it their baby was foreign but exciting. Sasuke never thought of himself ever marrying before he met her, so the concept of being a father scared him - and now he had a right to be so, because of whoever was out there terrorizing them.

Jiraiya looked like he was going to keel over at the dinner table. Sasuke couldn't say he blamed him; just like his wife said, her grandfather had loved Tsunade so much, and what was he going to do without her now? Generally, after you'd been married for so many years, the other spouse followed shortly after because they didn't want to stay separated very long.

"Thanks for staying with me, you guys," he mumbled, going through his meal the way he usually did, but he clearly didn't have much of an appetite, either. "Hell of a day, huh?"

"...yeah, Grandpa," Naru mumbled, sipping through her tea. "But you still have sleeping pills? I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight."

Sasuke had been adamant about her taking those things, but the doctor said it was okay - that doctor being Sakura, if you were wondering. Though what she actually referred to was melatonin, the supplement which carried the natural sleeping hormone in the body, and once you were out, you were out. Jiraiya knew that just as well.

"Yeah, I'll be needing that myself. Sheesh, I ought to get a bottle for you tomorrow when I hit the stores. Could use a bit of air after being cooped up in this damned house since your grandma died."

It was always a wrong time to do anything remotely fun in the event of mourning, and that meant being out there in the movie theaters, the kabuki and Noh ones, as well as shopping or even hitting the bars. But Naru had the idea of watching streaming movies, to try and make them all feel a little better.

Sasuke cleared his throat. While he understood that the air deserved to release all the sorrow in the world today and for a while longer to come, he really wanted them all to start helping each other. And besides that, he couldn't see the old man living alone in this house now that he was the only one left. They had plenty of room at his family place, but this had been where Jiraiya and his now-late wife had built their family and raised their granddaughter. This was _Naru's _home. So many happy memories as well as sad ones.

_He lost his daughter, and now his wife. He shouldn't be left here by himself. _

They were going to talk about this either tomorrow or sooner rather than later, but not tonight. But when dinner was over, Jiraiya told Naru he had a surprise for her, that Tsunade would have wanted her to have. "Sasuke, you remember," he told him with a strained smile. The small box was made of black lacquer and placed with mother-of-pearl flowers in various colors...and inside were the aquamarine and diamond earrings, necklace and ring that belonged to Tsunade, which Naru had worn that first Christmas they had.

"I am gonna wear them tomorrow, just for her," Naru declared, holding the box close to her heart. "Even if they are usually for a special occasion."

Her grandfather hummed. "We totally spoiled you rotten, kid, but we sure as hell raised you right, too. She never told you, but when we were alone, she said a load of times that you were always such a little hyper fox, and as you were growing up, you became a hell of a lady while retaining your personality. She was so proud of you like I still am."

Naru was still shedding a few tears by the time they were in bed together, but she dried out by then.

Sasuke didn't think he'd end up feeling peaceful the next morning to follow, but before he could ask her, she was gone from his embrace - and the peace was interrupted when he heard her yelp with horror. "What's wrong?!" Sasuke jolted to a sitting position in the bed, seeing her at the vanity where she kept her jewelry box.

He didn't have time to take in how adorable she would be today, as she always was, but he did notice something amiss as her mother's sapphire set as well as what her grandmother left her were there...except one other important factor that caused his blood to go ice-cold as the Arctic.

His mom's ring - _Naru's _ring from him on their very first Christmas together - was gone.

~o~

How the - how the hell could this happen?!

There were no signs of forced entry, but her grandpa and husband would never do this to her, and she certainly left it where she usually would.

_The ring...the ring that had been my mother-in-law's. Fugaku won it for her, and Sasuke gave it to me when we first celebrated Christmas together. I can't REPLACE it! And it had to fricking happen the morning after my grandmother's services!_

"Whoever it was might have come through one of the windows if not the door. But we found no fingerprint evidence; they must be that damned good," Commissioner Ibiki Morino stated, scowling, his scar moving along with the lines of his face. "Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha, I won't make any promises, but I am going to report to the stolen items department on your behalf, and they could comb what they can, though it's likely you might not see the ring again." He was trying to sound sympathetic, but he never looked that way, nor did he sound like it. While she understood it was part of the job, it made Naru very angry and frustrated.

"And the fact someone broke in without us knowing?! Without so much as giving a lead, and the night after my grandmother's funeral?" she almost cried, on the verge of sobbing as an important piece of her life had been ripped from her.

The man sighed. "Look, forgive us for there not being enough to find whoever did this -" He was interrupted harshly by Sasuke who threatened to lose his temper.

"No, I don't believe you understand as much as you claim," he said angrily just as Jiraiya was coming in to hear. "My wife is feeling like an animal targeted for practice because she's living her life as she's supposed to, and while you are right that whoever did this is 'damned good', she doesn't feel safe in her own home since the very treasure from my family has been taken."

"Sasuke, as Itachi's brother, I'll let that slide, but if you would let us do our job, there will be no issues. Except, I repeat, there is nothing we can do when there's nothing much to go on. I suggest you take measures to protect yourselves. And given there is no security system -" Morino frowned when Jiraiya piped up behind him, stating that there had never been a need, given he could protect himself and his family just fine. "Well, Jiraiya, if that's the case, then this could have been prevented, if any of you hadn't slept on melatonin the night before."

All three, Sasuke included, gawked in fury at him. All three of them were unable to sleep that night, so how DARE he insinuate that they brought all of this on themselves, especially those anonymous letters he hinted about! "Your business is done then," Jiraiya said coldly. "The sooner the job is done on your end and the missing items department's, the better. This country needs to get better at what it's supposed to do, rather than tightening the laws alone. No wonder more...deaths are occurring every day."

He didn't want to say that word and make things worse, but there was nothing to be done. No easier way to put it. It just made Naru cry harder, wiping her eyes with her tissue that Itachi gave her; his brother was among the men to be here and dust the Uzumaki house.

"Have you both received any more threatening letters since last time?" Sasuke shook his head. "Well, personally, I think it too much of a coincidence that this takes place shortly after that time."

Now that the elder said it, Sasuke began to slowly agree with him in terms of how much it made sense. _You're right...oh, damn it, this crazy never gives up, do they?! _He felt his lips curl at the sight of the damnable thing produced from Itachi's coat pocket, being inside a clear plastic bag. It was yet _another _letter cut and pasted by magazine clippings - again, no prints that were found - and it had been addressed to both Itachi and their father, whom _aniki _said was on edge and furious at the same time, praying that both he and Naru were still safe:

_Guess she won't be here, but at her poor grandpa's place, comforting him in his grief. How cowardly to escape from the truth in the meantime. She's just more weaker and pitiful than she shows; Sasuke could do with a better woman than that, so what the hell does he see in her? He was blind from the day he married her, so it makes me wonder if she's strong enough to carry his child to term, if at all. _

This bastard - or bitch - not only accused his Naru of being a no-good slut and gold-digger, but they threatened the life of their unborn child, wishing it to either be miscarried or stillborn, whichever way worked. This had gotten all the more deadly, and Sasuke did NOT like anything about this. Why the hell would he?

"Damn it," Ibiki hissed when he reread the letter. "You all, I don't expect you to accept it, but I apologize. Though I still stand when I say no promises. Just do everything to keep yourselves safe; you have friends, so you're not alone. Not like Fugaku doesn't know anything, since I worked with your father for years. Itachi, get the men out of here at once. We did everything we could."

~o~

Pregnancy included induced stress hormones, especially with events going on in your life...such as your late mother-in-law's cherished ring being stolen overnight, coupled with a note from your unknown pursuer directed towards your father and brother-in-law this time.

And her grandpa was not inclined to silence his opinions, for his voice raised just about every roof and rattled every wall since the police unit, including Itachi, left.

"I do NOT believe this shit! And I thought we could count on them all the way, but I guess not!" He was sitting at the table, the papers of his latest novel in front of him which he miraculously was still driving to do in light of his wife's passing. "This house has survived burglary in all its times, since we gave no one a reason to rob us, though it can also be random," Jiraiya went on, threatening to break his pen in hand and spill ink all over the nice table and his masterpiece he worked so hard on, "and not only that, but the police seemed to assume WE are responsible for letting it happen." Angrily, he sighed. "This is what we get for doing good things all our lives, kids. And it makes sense that..." He trailed off.

Sasuke finished, grumbling and wishing he had something stronger than the coffee he made for all of them. Caffeine would have to work this morning in place of liquor so early, and it wasn't like she'd be allowed to drink that with her condition. "The crazy, whoever the hell it is. Why can't they get the message?!"

_Because the more you ignore something, the worse it gets. It seems like they're so desperate to the point they might..._

This person - could they be _romantically obsessed _with her husband and thus wanted her out of the picture, even if she was pregnant with his child?

Naru's bowels were acting up. She really needed to throw up, if doing it this morning before the cops showed up hadn't been enough. She was NOT going to enjoy the first term, based on what she read.

It was just her luck: she and Sasuke were riding high, deserving everything they worked so hard for, had people who they loved and who loved them back, but someone they had no idea existed was trying to destroy that along with their safety.

She also worried that her ring would never be found, and it was going to shatter her heart. It also made her resolve that a safe for her prized possessions was in order, along with a security system as Commissioner Morino insisted. Which also meant that Grandpa would have to go back with her and Sasuke.

"Oh, well, might as well keep doing what we have to. Keep faith this person will get theirs," he told them both, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. It faded when he echoed Naru's thoughts: "Means I have to leave this place. So many good memories as well as depressing ones. This is what happens when you set a foundation and leave a legacy behind. Because some damned shadow is ruining it."

And speaking of shadows, time would go on after that, when summer cooled into autumn that same year - just before the icy cold of winter would arrive at the end of the month - life carrying on as usual until yet another horrendous nightmare which eventually moved to the Uchiha estate. Only she was at the hospital for a regular check-up one weekend, Hinata being with her as Sasuke had a work emergency despite it being a Saturday.

She was four months along now, except that meant back and abdominal pain for the most part, but it was a good thing she could also work at home. Saving grace was that she was not sick anymore in the mornings, but she began to wear lighter fitted garments, such as the caftan she was in; it was made of a sensational silk in shades of fiery orange to yellow, soft green and blue as well as white.

"Doing good," Sakura told her, being the one to take over the appointment. "Good to know you're doing everything to stay healthy, and looks like the little one is just as well. Maybe by next month, you'll have the gender."

Naru was laying stretched out on the examination bed, the head elevated comfortably upright for her. She felt her eyes burn as well as the stirring in her abdomen, knowing the baby was moving, but she had yet to feel a kick. And Hinata - in an off-shouldered denim-like blouse with a black peasant skirt brightly lit with pink, blue and purple prints - held her hand and wiped her own eyes with the back of her free one.

"So, with the good news, how are you..." Sakura paused, chewing her bottom lip as she looked at her outpatient. "...doing amidst all this?" What else could she be referring to? _The stalking and harassing. _

Naru tried not to break down. "It's been...so damned hard!" she managed, throat sore. "The police aren't doing shit, nor did they ever find my ring, and Itachi's friends in the investigation business are actually trying. But what's going to happen if they catch the person?" Why did her life have to become revolved around this, going all the way back to her wedding - the biggest day of the rest of her life with the man she loved? And was now increasing with the arrival of their first child?

Sakura exhaled, shaking her head. "I just heard that there are so-called 'therapy groups' for stalkers if they're ever caught, but that does little good despite being created for these purposes. The perps either fool the public good or have the fifty-fifty chance of reforming their ways. I even heard that restraining orders tend to make things worse, since it's just a piece of paper, Naru." Then she smiled. "But I also think your brother-in-law is gonna nail this guy."

Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Guy? I doubt a _guy_ could be obsessed with my best friend's husband to this degree."

And no matter how often she would try to avoid this subject, it would always come back to haunt her with new letters...and here the new nightmare was when Hinata dropped her off at home afterwards, and there Fugaku was in the courtyard where the koi and lotus pond was.

_"Damn it all!"_ he bellowed, furiously kicking the ground before him, turning his back to the pond, and not only were the pure white flowers withering and slowly turning into sandy brown, but the sight of all the various colored fish floating to the surface caused Naru to nearly double over and latch onto the bright red courtyard railing for support, Hinata sharply gasping.

All the fish were dead, but how the hell did this happen?! Fugaku loved them all, had done everything in his power to care for them, and she would either watch him or help him feed them - but now they were all spent of their lives at the same time. When she left earlier, they were all just fine!

"Just look at this!" her father-in-law growled, brandishing IT before her eyes when he regained himself: _another piece of paper, though typed from a computer_. "Naru, it says that if you don't leave Sasuke, then what happened to the fish will happen to you as well as the child! They've gone too far; if I have to, I'll hunt them down myself!"

If Fugaku was feeling vengeful, then she was bubbling to the point of going off that edge with him.

No matter what they did, this had become nothing but a cage so that the crawler could taunt them from the outside and in the shadows.

~o~

One of the last places where Sasuke thought _another letter _would reach him was his own workplace, arriving just when he was in his office finishing some emergency paperwork, and it caused him to freeze in his tracks that he had to get Kakashi and Iruka together after work before he headed right home to his wife.

"'Cutthroat who actually might be pregnant with Gaara Sabaku's child,'" Kakashi read, visibly cringing in the eyes. "'Might as well be his one true love since he hasn't even bothered proposing yet to Hinata Hyuuga, as he and Naru have been best friends since childhood. She's got you under a toxic spell so strong that only one option is to get rid of her in a way that is easier than divorce. She should either be poisoned when she doesn't see it coming, or better yet: hacked up into pieces like cattle and fed to the dogs. Sasuke, if you don't believe me, you'll see the photograph that will come up if you don't get rid of her by the time the baby is born.'"

Iruka mumbled that he really needed a drink from this, but Sasuke lost it and slapped both palms flat on the table. "I know my wife," he almost shouted, the three of them in the tavern down the block from the university, "so no way in hell she'd cheat on me - especially not with her friend who was also my roommate at the college! And how dare they threaten to butcher her like she's not even human?! I ought to do that to them myself!"

"Get. A. Grip, Sasuke," Kakashi punctuated harshly when a few heads looked their way. "Your brother has the best sources there is -"

"But damn it, everything has been going on for seven months! Why hasn't there been something by now?! My wife has suffered more than I have, and if this goes on, she might end up losing our child if she hadn't already! This bastard is ruining our lives with their campaign of terror -" He was interrupted when he felt his smartphone vibrating in his jacket pocket against his side, and it was Naru. He answered it. "Babe, what's wrong?"

It was like her to waste no time getting to it. _"Your dad got another letter, and not only were the fish in the pond poisoned, but the crazy said that me AND the baby will end up just like them if I don't leave you!" _

The stalker was getting all the more desperate, and Itachi was just as impatient and pissed as he was since there still was nothing; when was there going to be a solid lead after half a year of their lives in uncertain terror?! "Naru, I'll be home as soon as -" He gritted his teeth at her not letting him finish, if knowing about his father's prized koi being slaughtered as a warning hadn't done it already. He could just picture Fugaku seething and hitting the sake right away until he came up with a clear solution.

_"SHUT UP, SASUKE! I'VE GIVEN UP; I DON'T BELIEVE _ANYTHING _ANYONE SAYS ANYMORE! SCREW THE POLICE, SCREW ANY PROMISES - I DON'T THINK I WILL LIVE THROUGH THIS! I'm in a goddamned cage as much as everyone else!"_

She broke down hysterically sobbing then and there, and hung up before he could say anything. All Sasuke could do was stare at the mobile, gobsmacked and aware Iruka and Kakashi were staring at him, unsure of what to say or do now. There was nothing, and he hated it as much as he hated himself for being helpless.

**When I discovered that Japan's stalking laws do nothing to stop the killings of victims (the numbers recorded to be about 21,000 in cases altogether, though suspected to be much higher), I was appalled. Especially when the men who are doing this consider women to be their possessions rather than human beings. **

**This chapter was so difficult to write, and in the end made it hard for me to breathe in terms of what was happening to our characters - especially the happy couple. :( Next chapter is just going to get worse, so brace yourselves...but there WILL be a light at the end of the tunnel, I promise with two fingers crossed. **

**Review, and PLEASE give more details than I am usually getting. :3 **


	9. Mutual Vigilance

Chapter Nine

Mutual Vigilance

Brand new security system that wasted no time being installed? Checked off the list.

A safe in their bedroom thanks to Itachi personally? Also done.

At this time, the snow was sticking to the ground just as December was starting. The deathly cold intensified with the unknown danger lurking in every corner.

_And some people ask why the victim won't just leave the town or whatever, _Naru thought bitterly, wrapping her arms around herself as she gazed at the pure beauty: ice dripping from tree branches and the outside corridor roofs. The pond - now devoid of fish and just waiting for new lotuses to sprout again - was still dark and shimmering like glass. The first ray of light was that Commissioner Morino and his squads finally took the case seriously to the point that whoever wrote those letters must have poisoned Fugaku's fish. Although, Naru at this point had all but given up her faith in those men and women, instead choosing to believe in Itachi's friends, known as the Akatsuki Group.

"Perhaps it's for the best to install a unit to act as unofficial protection until all of this blows over," Morino told her and the family, but she blocked out parts of it that her grandfather had to repeat to her, which included a police officer being with her and Sasuke - either together or individually - everywhere they would go, so it would be a challenge as to whether or not the stalker would have the balls to kill a cop before her.

Now, in America, Canada and several other countries, there was such a thing called a witness protection program, but that didn't apply to Japan. The police could only authorize informal protection when things pushed the boundaries. She and Sasuke were even suggested to leave Konoha for a while as they carried on with the investigation, and that meant no kind of contact to their friends and loved ones so that the stalker didn't trace their location.

_Where the hell would we go? I can just see isolation and more stress as well as fear of the unknown. I am forced to change my way of life because of this person who is jealous and obsessed; it has to be someone who isn't happy with their life..._

_...but if it's not Sakura, then who is it? Sasuke would have told me he had another past relationship, and he would NEVER cheat on me. _

All these questions eased but didn't go a hundred percent away while she was in the glass shower stall. The zen surroundings did nothing to calm her nerves, nor did the battery-charged candles. She ran her hands through her hair, the smell of a citrus orchard sweet but not relaxing her as it always did. For all she knew, the stalker could break into the house and come get her like this -

Which was why she had the gun just outside the stall, on the sink counter and hidden beneath the towel in case it could be an intruder who skillfully got around the systems, since they obviously possessed the sophistication to not let a fingerprint be smudged on paper or anywhere.

Itachi even voiced his frustrations at the dinner table. "_Otouto_, you're absolutely certain you can't think of anyone else if not Sakura," he stated, rather than asked, much to the younger brother's frustrations.

"Really no one! And it still can't be Sakura."

"Inclined to believe you as I am, I don't buy any of her alibis which always seem to check out, but I have no choice but to follow the book. I just wish I could do more than I am told!"

Fugaku had other reserves. "You two, calm down," he said through his teeth. "We are all too damned tired of this. This is hard on Naru enough as it is. Itachi, this person is bound to one day make a mistake, since I spent years with the police force, and thank God they are now taking it seriously. They do not want to see me lose my temper."

Now, she was alone in the shower, but despite the new reassurances - and the fact she was armed, strictly according to the paperwork filled out - she wasn't sure if she could ever lower her guard again. She'd changed, and not for the better.

What was sadder was going to the museum with her latest work, and Hinata would be devastated to see her the way she was now, despite her attempts to cheer her up.

Gaara was calmly angry that his two friends were enduring something they never deserved, no matter what. All he could do was offer his aid - as well as Minato's - once the perpetrator was caught...IF, according to the police force.

Grandpa was complaining about being too old for this shit, and he took the words out of her mouth, though she was one to talk in terms of who was the young one here.

_Christmas will also be this month. Should always be a happy time, but what if another taunt comes? _

And here was a last minute decision: the whole family would get away and out of Konoha, without telling anyone where exactly - at least until they got back safely.

~o~

Hokkaido was where he and his wife spent their honeymoon, thus they would spend it up here for Christmas and into the New Year, so that there would be no interruptions.

Here, they would all dip in the cure known as the hot spring, for the shadowy cloud over them was a disease that HAD to be gotten rid of.

It meant the following, too: skiing the slopes across powdered but near-subzero snow. In terms of the festival of the season, there were ice sculptures to be carved and viewed, along with the finest food and alcoholic beverages in accordance with travelers' wishes.

Naru pointed out that the mountains - last time they were here - were majestic green as emeralds, and the valleys lush as vineyards, all of which made them a paradise for hikers, but they were all covered with pearly white now...even if the volcanoes were active but sleeping at the moment.

Today, it was, obviously, a dip in the springs in separate parts. Men had their own area, the women in another. He was with his father, grandfather-in-law and of course Itachi - and Minato Namikaze had come along for the ride. _My wife's estranged father, and she actually ASKED him to come on her own. _And why did Naru want him here? Because she felt that it could help them get through this mess, and that the holidays were a good time to help them start to really get to know each other.

Here they were in the room he and his wife had for each other, and it was then that Minato began to take the initiative towards making up for not being there as Naru's father. And it was when they were all around a nice, hot pot meal filled with crab and shrimp as the main ingredients because of the season.

"Just simple stuff like this makes the difference more than anything else," he said after gulping down a good amount. "Kushina might have been better than her mother, because she always went all out more than Tsunade."

"You better be glad she's not here to knock your teeth down your throat," Jiraiya told him, guffawing and throwing his head back as he did so. "But yea, you're right. Loved my woman's cooking, but Kushina surpassed her that she could have also had her own show!"

Hearing them talk about their women who were no longer here made Sasuke fall inside. It reminded him too much of when he and Itachi used to talk about their mother slaving away to make sure everything was perfect, always keeping a smile on her face even when things were at the lowest peak. And it also appeared that Naru was fighting not to cry as she heard her father and grandfather talk about her mother the way they did...

...and it spoke more than enough volumes, the same as that day Minato told her the details of their forced separation.

"We had great times ourselves," Naru spoke up, "and I remember her saying that you would have loved being a father, doing all of this with us."

Was it his imagination, or was Sasuke about to cry like a baby, when he felt the corners of his eyes prick with burning water? He did NOT do such a thing anymore, but it was hard not to. Especially when he saw the same with Minato, and his bottom lip was trembling a little. He was really the opposite of Fugaku who was still the epitome of controlled patriarch, whereas Jiraiya was sniffling already and blowing his nose with a tissue he produced from his pocket, standing then to go and toss it into a trash can afterwards.

_It feels like the weight of the events as of late are being lifted, but as soon as we return home, it's back to the fear of the unknown. Back to wondering who is - _

His train of thought ended there as he was not going to let it get in the way of what they all deserved.

Eventually, the topic shifted, and Minato revealed to Itachi as well as the rest of them that he had good news, since he knew the Akatsuki and also represented them as much as every victim - near-death, traumatic loss, even rape - in his firm. "There's great news, but apparently Commissioner Morino won't tell you until we get back. There was a handful of letters left at your doorstep, but they were collected at once; Gaara stopped by once in a while when he could, and on orders, he picked them up with rubber gloves and brought them straight to headquarters...and one letter had a couple of fingerprints."

_Two...fingerprints?!_

A collective grunt of surprise permeated off the wood and _shoji_ walls of the room.

"Going to take a while longer, because there is no one to match in the criminal database, but it might as well be worth it. Both the police force and the Akatsuki are collaborating together; this is in case the force is going to end up incompetent again, since you know how it is." _Because whoever it is might as well end up being forced to get counseling like other stalkers do. But they could fool everyone to get back out in the streets._

If that was the case, Sasuke had every reason to be worried more for his wife and their child than himself. But at least Minato had been a big help, and Itachi's face lit up for the first time since all of this began. The same could be said for Jiraiya and Fugaku.

Naru was clutching onto her stomach, almost dropping the bowl of the stew in midst of the emotional revelation that things might have a light switch, after all.

~o~

She was still living in fear upon going back home, but her father revealing the fingerprint thing - which Itachi apparently knew about but decided, for his own reasons, to let Minato spill - was the best holiday gift she'd ever received, along with the new bracelet she wore on her right wrist, in place of the ring that she still missed so much.

"That's gorgeous!" Hinata gushed. Her delicate fingers gently prodded over the different shades of amber around the blonde's wrist: an alternation between the classic golden amber and a smoky black one that was rare in comparison.

They were both in her studio that day, in the middle of February now. Usually, in warmer weather, the Hyuuga beauty had a black dress with sheer lace sleeves, being elegant and demure, but in winter, she donned a navy blue sweater with a crisp white collar and cuffs. Bringing it right to Naru herself in her favorite orange one trimmed with white. She was here to just take a look at her friend's latest masterpiece in her jewelry collection. But while she waited for it to be brought out, she glanced around at certain things which got her attention.

On the wall: her painting which was brand new and unique from her usual style. It was a bunch of orange orchids painted in realistic terms against a background of mosaic form water-colored with shades of blue and green. It was the second time she'd done anything like that, when the first time had been so difficult she'd gone through so many sketch drafts that she ended up frustrated until her husband set her straight with "inspiration".

All it took was him rocking her on the cot, covered with roses, to help get her back on track.

There were also two models of Hinata's newest dresses for the public, though they were two versions of the same one: both were made of a sleek crepe fabric, but the first had long puff-sleeves and a perfect V-neck to plump out the breasts. The lace detailing of the sleeves and down the dress sides, ending at the train hem, was reminiscent of medieval Europe. The same could be said for its sleeveless counterpart.

And seeing them made her glance down at the drawing on the lab table. Seeing that sweet simplicity made her heart sing for Hinata - _take a guess as to what that means._

The smooth, figure-flattering fabric with the modest scoop that had delicate lace detailing as an illusion and in the opened back - it was Hinata's dream of her own. And when she came back, Naru saw the bright sparkle on that left hand, which was radiance through and through besides the diamond's cut of the name; it was ringed with a halo of white and another of blue, the glittering band split apart.

Gaara proposed to Hinata on Christmas Eve of all times, but what could be better than that? In front of her father and sister as well as his brother and sister, since he would never have a real relationship with his own father and had all but accepted it. _And is planning to marry her when the sunflowers are out and radiating. _

"Here it is!"

"Hinata, you really go above and beyond. You never seem to make one bad decision." And this here was proof, this set of earrings, a bracelet and bib-style necklace which were composed of cabochons of satiny luster all in round as well as pear-shapes. The jewels were opals - being the biggest ones in oval shape, however - pink tourmaline which had significance in China's Forbidden City, diamonds, aquamarines, and violet-blue tanzanite for the rarest love that existed in the world. All of which symbolized a lavish declaration of love, and the darkest shade of pink which popped out from the rest was reminiscent of the plum blossoms which were now blooming.

Hinata then exclaimed as she forgot something which she produced from a little box in her pocket: a ring with clusters of the same crystals and shapes, measured to be a digit's width, depending on size. "The last piece! I'm really excited, and I'm so glad you love it, as always!" she said. "Just as I am happy you and Sasuke will finally get justice."

Except they were still far from over. While her friend's words made her feel better, Naru was still wary of letting her guard down. Her father - whom she had begun growing close to since Christmas - had sworn along with Itachi that they were getting close, had a bunch of brand new letters that they would not let her and Sasuke see since they'd all been away at Hokkaido. The latter of which told her the stalker had likely been distracted by something else to even assume they would get away from Konoha at this time, had been so desperate that they relentlessly wrote one more letter after another...

...and that panicked frustration was the reason the force and the Akatsuki together got two fingerprints.

It was right then and there that Naru's phone vibrated in her pocket. Itachi was calling her, and when she answered, she was stunned by what he told her.

_"Naru...we have the suspect in custody. I'm coming by to pick you up, and then we'll get Sasuke."_

It was as if the world was finally on her side, and she could only pray it would stay that way. Finally, the nightmare was almost over, but now she was worried about who it was...

She was in Sasuke's embrace the entire time Itachi drove them to the precinct, his face in a tight, somber line. He hadn't told them who it was, but warned them to be prepared. And he sure as hell had been right, for when he led them to the interrogation room where the suspect was handcuffed and waiting for a police officer again - Itachi was going in there, along with Commissioner Morino - and in a hysterical mess while wearing a bright and fitted red sweater embellished all over with rhinestones that twinkled like stars, lighting up the dreary space as did HER appearance, the look of her made Naru and her husband hold tighter than ever onto each other.

Her eight months' growth stirred with her distress as she could not believe it, and neither could Sasuke as he put a protective arm around her waist and the other on her belly. One more month, and this person would have spoiled her life by telling the world Gaara was the father, that she'd been unfaithful to Sasuke. Her brother-in-law assured her they had that information in custody, so that she had nothing to worry about.

"You were right, _nii-san,"_ Sasuke seethed. "I really thought she'd been over me, but - she's a goddamned psycho who had us all played for fools!"

Even though she couldn't see them, the person lifted her pink head and gazed numbly and unfocused at the "window", showing muddied green eyes as her world had been shattered, after being so careful to not let herself be caught.

**No words needed - bet you all can guess WHO the unknown tormentor has been, since there is only one person who has that hair and eye color. :O **

**Tourmaline is known as the "chameleon of gems", coming in dark reds to watermelon pink, to mossy green as well as blue. Especially in China in the 19th century, the Empress Cixi prized them for herself.**

**Stay tuned for the next and FINAL chapter coming up, so lovely reviews appreciated!**


	10. Life is But a Dream

**Hallelujah, this is the final chapter of this masterpiece of mine (and yup, not ashamed to say that), and thank you all for the lovely support. :') And now that this is over, I will go back to "The Sun-Kissed Bride" to give the rest of it my full attention. **

**Anyone wants to follow me in the future, you all know what buttons on the profile to hit. :D**

**REVIEW WHEN YOU FINISH. :3 **

Chapter Ten

Life is But a Dream

Sasuke had believed in her, but he was a goddamned fool! Why did he not listen to Itachi the first time?!

_If I had, this could have saved so much trouble. _

But then again, it wasn't like anyone else in their country could have predicted this as much as they would predict a man going after his woman whom he saw as his property, wouldn't accept she could leave him. It made him wonder how poor Lee was going to handle _this_, and why the hell he let himself be with such a sociopathic woman, now that he was going to call Sakura Haruno just that.

"And not only everything we found, but this was also it," Itachi told them both, reaching into his coat pocket to pull out a plastic bag, and what was inside caused Sasuke to audibly gasp sharply, his throat tight with the pain of the past several months which had been an eternity in hell for him and his family. _We never thought we'd see it again, and it had been hidden near our midst all this time!_

"Mom's ring...Naru's," was all Sasuke could utter as he allowed himself to be bewitched by the tear-shaped blue diamond cradled by leaves of white ones. To see his wife shed the tears delicately down her cheeks made his throat crack all the way down to his heart.

"That sick bitch had it all the time. Why would she take it?" she demanded, teeth loudly rattling as her temper threatened to unleash itself.

"All we know is that she's hysterical and keeps apologizing, swearing it was all a prank and nothing else," Ibiki Morino said, announcing himself from behind them. "Never thought she'd be caught. She really thought she'd get away with it when she didn't bother using any technology that could be more easily traced than paper. That's what happens when you let a fingerprint or two slip."

_And what happens when you become desperate. _

After this, he was going to be wary about trusting to have another woman friend who wasn't Hinata. What that thieving slut - yeah, that WAS what she was, so who the hell was she to call his loving wife that?! - did was cruel and wrong in a thousand ways to hell's bottom. He wanted so much to unleash his wrath on her personally, say he should have issued the restraining order when he had his chances. She was going to pay now for ruining their lives the way she did, but they were also going to work together and move forward. They had to be all right after this, right?

His heart hardened at once when he looked at the mess his ex-girlfriend and stalker was: her red-rimmed eyes and puffy cheeks, her unkempt rosy hair, and her murky eyes filled with so much pain that it made him ill. He was never going to fall for that.

~o~

Before the police could even consider taking her to trial, an expert psychologist was brought in, Naru learned.

"Psychoanalyzing - she deserves to be locked up permanently," Fugaku growled, slamming his empty teacup atop the table. "For threatening my family - especially my grandchild." He nodded in her direction, in which she cradled her bulge with both hands, one atop and the other below.

_She's locked up now, awaiting trial, and that also means Sasuke and I will have to testify. In the states, it's a worry; they say when you put the victim on the witness stand, you're placing them in the line of fire which is the stalker's eyes all over again. I'll have to be in front of that woman who tricked us, planned to get Sasuke back all this time, and chose to do it just when we got married._

_How long had it been? Since we got out of college, or before which was that one Christmas? Or did she really snap when she learned we were engaged? _

So many questions were running through her head, amplified when Itachi told them all what he knew so far. "It appears to be a mental disorder, but until we hear from the psychologist, it's just surface guessing. When we brought her to the station, she broken into her fits and insisted she didn't mean to hurt anyone, that it was all a joke and that her life was hard on an emotional level - especially when there were too many demands. I suppose I understand since this can happen to anyone." Itachi scowled then. "But it does NOT excuse anything."

"Yeah, what happened with her father, I bet," Sasuke grumbled. "I'll never stop holding that against her, since she let it run her life when we were still together."

Naru stopped thinking about it since a long time ago, but she never forgot. Her mom used to talk about Kizashi Haruno, a colleague who was on her level of genius and originality; while Kushina was working at home so she could be close to her daughter, Haruno was often away so that his wife raised their only daughter most of the time. They got along well - or so Kushina had thought.

Her mother and Sakura's father were both top candidates for constructing a brand new therapy center in Tokyo, and it ultimately went to Kushina who would have to go on a rare visit in person - away from her family, even for two weeks - which made Kizashi clearly snap out of the blue. He felt he deserved it more, and it earned him being removed from the office for a while until he cooled down...but it just led to him building up to the point where he not only used a bomb he acquired through a friend's help, but he was not in the right mind that he thought he could get away with this, since the purchase and timelines were traced back to him. Kushina Uzumaki and other innocent civilians died for nothing.

Now, his daughter was no better than he was, when she took to stalking her ex-boyfriend and his new wife as well as endangering their unborn child.

_I'm no psychiatrist, but it seems that her father's arrest and life imprisonment traumatized her to the point that counseling didn't help - if Mom tried to get it for her - but how would it explain her crazy behavior towards me and Sasuke?_

A couple days later, she found out: a multi-personality disorder which included inner Sakura - called the "dark half" - who had been kept low on medication until the breakup with Sasuke Uchiha, the events leaving her too morose, hence her so-called darker side coming out of the woodwork, so to speak. It made her wonder if Lee knew about this, or if Sakura did a damned good job hiding it well from even her own boyfriend of many years. It also saddened Naru to know that even a healthy, loving - so she thought - relationship with Rock Lee didn't stabilize her as well as they'd thought.

And this brought forth another issue: no doubt Lee was devastated and likely to have issues trusting the woman he loved again, despite still caring for her. He was just so kindhearted and had been so lucky when nice guys like him generally would be broken over by a pretty girl...this being a possible example.

That pink-haired bitch destroyed people's lives in a fate worse than death.

A part of Naru was wondering if justice would really be served, or if Sakura would just pick up with her ways and hunt them again out of vengeance for retaliating. She had a plan now: she was not going to be scared anymore; she intended to protect her family and herself now, after relying on everyone else.

In the meantime, on the positive side: her late mother-in-law's ring - no, her ring which had been stolen - was found in Sakura's possession, but it was going to be held in evidence, and now she was worried she'd never get it back, since her heart had been torn apart all over again after seeing it in Itachi's grasp. That ring had history; it had been won by Fugaku for his wife, and then their youngest son gave it to her, his future wife, on their first Christmas together before they really got serious.

Distraction was needed. The baby's room had been prepared in the house, but it would have to be in the same area as its parents because of safety reasons. _One more month to go._

She was excited for this next chapter in their lives, but hardly had much time to truly enjoy the experience because of the living nightmare which would hopefully finally be over soon.

And flashforward to the next month which passed.

"Oh, there she is! There she is!" Jiraiya chortled as he took the adorable, cooing thing into his arms, offered by none other than the mother who could never get enough of this.

Thirteen hours in labor, and this little princess had been worth the trouble, as well as without fear of something happening. With Gaara and Hinata going through the trouble of being there, along with her father, and even a heartbroken Lee who was still coping with what the woman he loved had done. No one blamed him for anything.

Sasuke kissed her forehead in the aftermath and whispered that she did great, his eyes misted when he looked at their daughter who had been screaming and wriggling in the nurse's arms, cord severed and about to be taken to be cleaned up and examined for abnormalities. _Mana Uchiha - full of spirit already. _

Mana might as well look more like her mother in the face, as well as the eyes, while she had her daddy's gorgeous raven hair. Now, at two months old - and two months short of Hinata and Gaara getting married in the middle of summer to approach - she was a giggly and laughing little thing, happy and innocent, needed all the protection there was...

...except, like everything in life, it was just a dream that would eventually be one day replaced with a nightmare.

_She's gonna get what's coming to her, but these things...they never end. It happens to anyone, changes someone's way of life out of fear. Always looking over their shoulder. What if this happens to Mana when she grows up? Over in America and Canada, stalking is illegal, but at least they are dealt with better compared to here. Just words; women fight for themselves, since most men don't care about who they are as people. The police can't help them as they can do it right with other crimes. _

Naru was just considering taking her brother-in-law's advice to heart after this mess was over with. Itachi was going to leave the police force, just as he planned, and he offered her a spot on an activist program which was standing up for women being stalked, as well as included an adjoined therapy program for stalkers in general. That did include spurned husbands and boyfriends who wouldn't take no for an answer, even went far as to consider taking the women's lives - and it all had to begin with one young woman dying, and an investigative reporter finding the truth himself before bringing it to the light.

She was more than happy to be a part of something that made a difference, even if she'd spend the rest of her life in something futile. She accepted that things would one day be better, and that mistakes could be fixed.

If not her being the change, her daughter could grow up and pick up where she left off.

Seeing the family she had - her husband and child, father and brother-in-law, father and grandfather - made her happy to be alive.

Naru turned away from her family's scene to look at herself in a tall mirror on the wall, taking in her slim figure in her favorite knitted orange dress, though her belly was still full and rolling with fat that she was still working to get rid of. Hardly did she ever go to the gym, but it felt enlightening along with the sugar-free drinks and foods to help.

Sometimes, she would forget that there had been no trouble at all.

Sasuke came up to her then, Mana in his arms, and she turned to embrace them both as well as kiss the man she loved, who had been with her through this dark dream which was going to be replaced with a better one.

~o~

Sasuke could not believe what kind of defense that his ex-girlfriend and stalker had gotten. The day finally came, and it was the first of many to follow until a verdict was secured.

"Yes, it is true that stalkers in this country - and any other in the world - are often jilted men and women who feel wronged by their partners, or ones they see as potential, and go to extreme lengths to get them. But let me tell you that my client is a well-functioning young doctor at the general hospital, puts her heart and soul into everything, and she's just had a hard life which includes both a father who brought his mistakes down onto his family, and now a boy who abandoned her because she was just being a girl with big dreams and ideas. She clung to old, easier memories that she coped with better than what was in front of her, and what she did was common for a girl in love with her ex, even going as far as to misunderstand something from a distance as unfaithfulness. She clearly thought that was what it was with Mrs. Uchiha and Mr. Sabaku."

Sasuke resisted scoffing, clenching his fists. Why did he have to sit and listen to this woman's shit? He could tell Minato was impatient, as the man was fidgeting with his pen and contemplating a fantasy of whatever he wanted to do with it. Naru sat beside him; still, no one knew they were father and daughter, so imagine that witch using that information as favoritism to her and her client's advantage.

"Perhaps Mrs. Uchiha should have done something like leave her husband for her own sake. She was just lucky to be alive, if what anyone believes to be true that my client had the intentions of, quote, 'cutting her up into pieces and feeding them to the dogs'. As you have discovered, it was just a fantasy to help her deal with the stress -"

The judge interrupted her impatiently. "If you are finished, Ms. Utatane, I would love to hear the defense from Mr. Namikaze, in terms of the victim herself." Minato stood up then from behind his table, though Naru refused to look at anything or anyone but ahead.

"Your Honor, true as it is that Miss Haruno is a respected medic from the hospital, it's also solidly confirmed that she made terroristic threats against Mrs. Uchiha. This is clearly jealousy with a broken heart. This is common as much as the lack of police involvement, the same as it is for men who relentlessly pursue women they won't accept in letting go. Sasuke Uchiha will be glad to testify on his wife's behalf after we hear her side; they both have felt extremely unsafe in the last year of their lives. Anyone can sarcastically tell him that it would have just been someone who still loved him and was trying to win him back. The countless letters sent have made everyone's hackles rise and remain that way until the suspect was apprehended -" He was interrupted by Mieko Utatane, daughter of notorious prosecutor Koharu Utatane. The judge clearly favored her mother over this new generation, somehow.

"Only after one letter has been smudged with my client's prints, but you cannot link that to the past 'threats', Minato. She was dismissed as an annoyance and nothing more."

"An annoyance," Minato said through his teeth, "who threatened to have Naru Uchiha miscarry, to expose her as a false adulteress just so that Sasuke Uchiha would be available to her. That's intruding and violating into two lives. Had they'd seen her coming, Sasuke could have defended them both together, but Haruno covered her tracks so well. According to our psychologists, she possesses criminal intelligence to do these things. And if her father could kill Kushina Uzumaki, Naru's mother -" It was difficult for him to say her name in these strenuous circumstances, much less use her. "- then there is no doubt Sakura could have."

The judge nodded, grumbling something under his breath. "No doubt there is much sense, yes. A whole family has lived in fear, as do thousands in this country every day. And despite her diagnosis of schizophrenia, your client is suitable for trial, Ms. Utatane."

The woman with her tight-ass brunette hair bun, pressed navy suit and stern but elegant features, scowled subtly and curtly nodded. Beside her, Sakura appeared to still be crying after all of that. Aware of the people in the courtroom staring at her, glaring even. Her rosy hair was extremely unkempt and in a rushed ponytail; who knew how long it'd been since she had proper hygiene. _For just a moment, I pity her. _

Before Naru could be called up, the explanation from Judge Mitokado went on: female stalkers were generally single, educated and in their mid-thirties, but Sakura was a decade less than that. Given her diagnosis history, it was a miracle she still functioned in society. And if they threatened their victim who didn't answer to their delusion, violence was likely even if they hysterically insisted no when they were caught by authorities. They were always motivated by anger, abandonment, jealousy - all obsessive.

"I had never done anything to anyone in my life," she said heatedly, not afraid and looking right at Sakura, which made him proud. Even Fugaku and Itachi watched with him in the front row. "So, I was doing everything I was supposed to do, but then this person comes out of the blue to threaten to kill me if I didn't leave the man I loved. They even went far as to wish our baby died somehow. And called me a cheater when Gaara Sabaku was just my best friend since we were kids. I never once loved him like that." She glared right at Sakura who only covered her eyes like the coward she was. "You," Naru said directly, "changed my whole way of life, violated my safety. You started it at my wedding day where I deserved to be happy, then picked up after my grandmother's funeral and even now...and you took away a valuable piece that my husband gave me. That and everything you did makes you a criminal!"

Minato then held up the ring which was still in its plastic bag as evidence. "Is this the ring?"

She nodded. "It was Sasuke's mother's. My father-in-law won it at an auction for her. Sasuke gave it to me on our first Christmas before we got serious."

And just to be expected, she received no sympathy from Utatane who viciously called her out for being stupid, and then she was objected by Minato who was sustained by Mitokado, who in turn warned the prosecutor about making personal comments. "Then answer this, Mrs. Uchiha: if your life was so perfect, how could you let this happen to you?"

It took all of Sasuke's self-control to not jump out and violate protocol. He threatened to bite his lip and draw blood at the boiling in his body. That bitch was going to be crucified if he had anything to say about it. "My life is never perfect," Naru spat. "I just chose to make it joyous, as we all should. That's what my mother taught me, even when things got bad."

"Until she was killed along with others, by my client's father," Utatane said snidely. "You knew she was related to Kizashi Haruno, did you not?"

"I did and forgot until now."

"Oh, did you now? Then I can safely say that this isn't a mere false accusation because of the sins of the parents being brought down on the daughters."

Naru was flabbergasted before she recollected herself, dismayed and furious that the woman was twisting this on her. "Hey, that woman stalked and harassed me and my family! She made me scared for my own life and my daughter's; I'm not gonna let her get away with that!"

Utatane leaned in over the witness stand, keeping a foot's length away as she toyed with her. "She's not getting away with anything, because she's just the victim of your own vicious lies." And she was saying that when she knew there was a strong case against Sakura, and was fighting a losing battle. _And hell, there are all those letters and the fingerprints on Mom's ring which are now nothing but Sakura's. That's just enough to condemn her._

"No more questions, Your Honor." And by this time, Naru had broken down and started crying, then accepted the tissues from Judge Mitokado before getting off the stand to go and take her seat. She ended up being with Hinata who snarled and stuck her tongue at the back of Mieko Utatane who didn't so much as sense it. However, a few people who cared to notice the action sniggered before sobering up, agreeing the woman deserved it.

_And here goes nothing. _

Sasuke found himself on the witness stand, getting gentle but firm understanding from Minato as well as aggressive near-attacks from Utatane who was relentless in getting HIM to feel guilty about leaving her client when they were young, denying her when she tried to reconnect with him and snapped when he married his new girl. "Naru, my wife whom I love and is the mother of my child," he growled back at the insufferable woman, "was a marked target because of the threats. My brother was right about Sakura from the start, and I wish I had listened. Just as I should have taken him seriously when he suspected she was the one. I really thought she'd moved on especially when she was with Rock Lee - and I wish I had shunned her on graduation day when I had the opportunity."

_But even that never would have stopped her anyway. Just as you can never get rid of persistence fast. Just as the police never took us seriously until the damned Christmas vacation. _

"So, you're saying my wife and I brought it on ourselves," he snapped at the woman, not acknowledging the silent appraisal from Minato. "We _didn't_. We were tricked. You can say what you want, but you're wrong."

It appeared the jury was agreeing with him without openly saying it. He just hoped they wouldn't be swayed by that horrible woman in front of him.

~o~

Her nerves were on fire as she waited to be called onto the stage before the audience. She was so exhausted that she wished she could just go back home with her family, but she came too far to give up now.

All those women knew of her story and were here for her to lift their spirits and add to the cause. And after Itachi was done with his speech, he called for her, making her heart jump against her ribcage.

Standing before them all - and seeing her family and friends there - Naru mustered her courage and walked up the stairs to the podium where the microphone was. In her work uniform, which was the sapphire velvet blouse and rose-embroidered pants, she presented herself with pride and dignity without the real need to impress anyone, just to empower herself. The event was recorded for the media, and if Sakura got the time to watch, just let the bitch cry pathetic tears now.

It was enlightening to see Counselor Utatane's face when her client had no choice but to plead guilty to the counts of stalking and criminal threats. And that also meant Mikoto's ring was given back to her, right after everything was cleared. It made Naru cry more tears of joy; add that postpartum hormones were still to blame.

Her brother-in-law who was going to leave the police force officially by the end of summer smiled and nodded his support and acknowledgement, believing in her. All the more reason for her to be here, just as it was for her to look at Sasuke with Mana asleep in his arms.

"I didn't think I could ever be happy again, as I am sure all of you have felt," Naru said hesitantly, earning a load of nods and murmurs which eventually silenced for her to continue. "I was stupid to think, at first, that the police would be on our side just because I was part of Itachi's family, if not by blood. It showed they were like a lot of the authorities in this country. That woman who couldn't let my husband go ruined both of our lives, even thought she could get to us through our friends and family. It shows that female stalkers are just as serious as the male ones the majority of you endured. It's something we are going to start taking seriously together. I'm here now to keep speaking and keep fighting with all of you.

"It's the idea that Japan is dominated by the male population; they refuse to let go of the fact that you leave them - and that fact is true with the case of Sakura Haruno, Sasuke and myself. She pretended to move on while trying to get my husband back, and I still can't believe we fell for it. It shows you have to really be careful with who you trust. Even someone like me, who never hurt anyone, is easily targeted by such people." Naru paused to reach into her pocket and pull out a tissue; this caused several other women in the crowds to do the same as she clearly got to them. "Thankfully, we managed to get a restraining order against her in addition to the mandatory counseling."

_Not only me and Sasuke, but she isn't to go anywhere near Gaara and Dad - whom she now knows, after we won - Hinata, Grandpa, Fugaku and Itachi. Absolutely no one. And she has no one except her mother whom she doesn't get along with, what few friends who didn't abandon her...and poor Lee. _

According to him, last Christmas season, Sakura had been with him the entire time, which explained to all of them that the distraction for her which was her boyfriend made her not target the entire Uchiha family enough to track them to Hokkaido - but that didn't mean she didn't find time for those letters.

She was just one of the twenty-something percent of the stalker population that didn't see what she did was wrong, only she insisted she was apologetic for this, in addition to threatening the life of an unborn child, which was a complete violation of the Hippocratic Oath. It was a shame she was going to have to keep her job after everything she did, but the condition was that she leave Konoha and never come back, which also meant that Rock Lee had to choose between breaking up with her or going away with her if he still loved her.

He chose the latter, clearly deluded by "wherever you go, I go". He was just gonna learn the hard way what a really crazy person she was if Sakura didn't change her ways.

"I get that stalking can be difficult to prove in the early stages," Naru forced out, "but you lose trust when your life is in danger. Especially when you hear about other cases and wonder if THAT could be you. But I survived and stand in front of you today. The woman who tried to destroy my life is gone, and I hope it stays that way. But if she ever comes near us again, we're gonna work together and make sure she's locked up for good. I don't wish on her what she threatened me, except it's often come to that in thousands of cases."

That's what she became: a survivor. Just like a lot of these women while others were still suffering like she had. She found a new purpose in life besides what she was still doing for herself, and that was helping them while patiently preparing in case her old tormentor ever intruded again. _I hope to God she never comes back. _

"Maybe the police will start getting their act together in the near future, but until then, we are in this together. If you can't protect yourself alone, you have people you love. Don't ever be afraid to ask for help."

And when she was done speaking, Naru thanked everyone and left the stage to be embraced by her loved ones who had always been there for her: her grandfather who raised her since the death of her mother. Her father who helped her win this case and was now going to be in her life from now on. Her roommate and childhood friend who were getting married in a couple days now.

And finally, her husband and their little girl who cooed and reached out for her. She bent down and kissed the top of Mana's soft dark head before accepting Sasuke's warm lips which washed away all the worries she had.

And finally, there was a light that shone bright at the end of the tunnel: Lee came back to Konoha, but he was devastated because of the wake-up call. Sakura tried so hard to rehabilitate, but she took her own life. Cut her wrists and throat in the tub, after leaving a note saying that she was sorry for breaking Lee's heart and dragging him down the way she did. She really did love him, but she should have done something to stay away from Konoha because of a former love who rekindled her obsessions. She only wanted her needs met, but it was all taken from her.

She'd lost the will to live.

It was a sad end, in a way, in that it HAD to be this way. She'd been getting the help she needed, but she couldn't do it anymore. And Naru called her a coward for giving up after having everything - except the one person. It made Lee feel like he was worth nothing, but then Gaara had to step in. He had his secretary, Matsuri, step up to help Lee heal, just be there for him and give him what Sakura couldn't. Someone to genuinely care about him.

The nightmare was over. A new dream was beginning for all of them, even if these things never truly went away.

**"5 Things You Must Do If You Have A Female Stalker" is the article I used on female stalkers in general, paraphrasing this and that. Some of it also came from the Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones case which set the tale's foundation. That and this video on YouTube: "Japan's Stalking Crisis | 101 East".**

**Utatane (whom I made into the daughter of Koharu who was on the council in ninja-canon) attacking Naru the way she did was inspired by the court moment near the end of the Law and Order: SVU episode in the eleventh season, "Savior", dialogue and all. **

**Mana - Japanese name meaning "full of spirit". Just what can't be stamped out in midst of everything that has happened. :D Although, stalking victims in general feel like a part of them has been murdered, especially in their emotional lives - if they're fortunate their physical lives weren't taken. According to stalking victim/activist Lenora Claire, "no amount of therapy EVER restores you back to who you were". **

**God, I am so proud of this tale. Took longer than expected, but that's what you need to do most of the time if things don't naturally flow faster than intended. Great story means precision, I always say. :3**


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